Things Aren't Always What They Seem
by Romantic Southerner
Summary: COMPLETE and updated with an author's note! Daniel has a long list of women he has slept with, but what if there was one who slipped through the cracks and he gets a second chance?
1. A Mystery Caller

**Title**: Things Aren't Always What They Seem  
**Author**: Creative Dreamer  
**Summary**: Daniel has a long list of women he has slept with, but what if there was one who slipped through the cracks and he gets a second chance?**  
Disclaimer**: I don't own Ugly Betty or any other famous people mentioned. I just created the woman from Daniel's past.  
**Author's Note**: _This fic has been in the works since "I'm Coming Out", but it took me a while to get this onto paper. I hope you like it. I haven't written a multi-chapter fic in a __**long**__ time. Special thanks to Olivia Adam Smith Please feel free to give me your feedback; it fuels me to write more! ;) _

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**Chapter One  
**_A Mystery Caller_

It was another day at _Mode _as Daniel Meade was at his desk with stacks of paper within his grasp. The editor-in-chief was trying to figure out who should be featured in the Hollywood issue of one of the world's top-selling fashion magazines. The day seemed to be dragging along. He glanced down at his watch; it was only 9:45 am. Daniel hadn't been in the office for two hours, but it felt like forever.

"Here you go, Daniel," his bright-eyed assistant Betty Suarez said with her boss's usual coffee and bagel with cream cheese in hand as she made her way to his desk.

"Oh, thanks, Betty," he said with a sigh. He took the coffee cup from her hand and took a much needed sip.

She set the bagel in front of him. "You're welcome," she said as she flashed him one of her full smiles where you could see all of her braces. "You looked like you needed it."

Daniel gave her an appreciative nod. He knew his assistant could read him all too well.

She could tell that he was busy brainstorming for the next issue. The Hollywood issue was definitely one of the most important issues that _Mode _put out during the course of the year_._ Typically, past issues would feature actresses who were bound to have an impact in the industry during the coming months, and Daniel didn't really have a clue as to who would be the best ones to be featured in the magazine.

"Just so you know Wilhelmina should have the book ready for you this afternoon. By the looks of it, it will be sent to the printer ahead of schedule." She smiled as she tried to give him something else to focus on to break the tension and stress he was under.

"Well, that's a relief," the editor-in-chief said, relieved as he sat back in his chair, trying not to look down at the stacks of paper and photographs. He tried not to focus on the task that seemed to be impossible at the moment.

Suddenly, the phone rang in Daniel's office, and without thinking, Betty leaned over the desk and picked up the receiver.

"Daniel Meade's office," she said into the phone with her cheery disposition. "This is Betty Suarez."

"Oh," the woman's voice on the other end said, surprised. "I was trying to get in touch with Christina McKinney. I must have the numbers mixed up."

Betty glanced over at her boss, giving him a confused look. She pushed her glasses up on her nose. Daniel gave her an inquiring look and whispered, "Who is it?" All she could so was shrug.

"Oh, well, I know how that is," she reassured with a light chuckle.

The not-so-typical assistant of playboy Daniel Meade recalled when she first started at_ Mode_ when she was so new to everything. She barely knew Daniel's number or any of else's at _Mode_ let alone all of the other numbers that an assistant should know when she works at fashion magazine.

The anonymous woman on the line laughed softly as she was thankful for Betty's understanding. "Is Mr. Meade in his office by any chance?"

"Um, yes, he is. Would you like to speak with him?"

"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to bother him if he's busy. Besides, I need to get in touch with Christina. Have a nice good day."

"Uh, you too."

There was a click before Betty had a chance to make sense of the short unusual conversation she just had with some unnamed woman. She placed the phone back on its cradle.

"That was strange," she observed as she returned her attention to her boss.

"Well, what was that about?" Daniel questioned, unsure of what to think.

"It was a woman who was trying to get in touch with Christina, but she got your number mixed up with hers," she cleared her throat. "However, she did ask if you were busy, but she didn't want to talk to you."

"That's odd. Did she happen to say who she was?"

"No, she didn't."

Daniel started to stare blankly into space.

"Need anything else?" Betty asked as she stood in front of his desk with her hands folded.

"Nope, not right now," he replied.

His assistant headed toward the door to go back to her desk.

"Hey Betty?" he said to get her attention.

"Yes, Daniel?" she grinned as she turned back to look at him.

"When you get a chance, go see who wanted to talk to Christina."

"Okay," she smiled before she went back to her desk.

Daniel was left in his thoughts. He tried to think through his past like a rolodex, but he knew better than to try to figure that out considering all of the women that were in his past.

_Who could she be?_ The infamous bachelor wondered. All Daniel did know was that his day had definitely become more interesting than what it was ten minutes ago.

--

Things had finally slowed down for Betty so she could go ask Christina about the mystery caller. Betty made her way to "the closet" to check in with one of her closest friends from work.

"Hey Christina," Betty smiled as she walked over to Christina at her desk.

Christina McKinney was _Mode_'s resident seamstress and her office was known as "the closet" because she was the keeper of all of the clothes, accessories, and countless other things needed for each issue of the magazine to be successful.

"Hello, Betty," Christina greeted her friend as she glanced up from her sketchbook.

Not only was Christina the in-house seamstress for _Mode_, but she was also one of _Mode_'s Top Ten Designers to watch. She had quietly made a name for herself in the fashion world as a designer who seemingly was a breath of fresh air.

She was working on a sketch of a design that she hoped would be a soon-to-be McKinney original. It was a drawing of a teal dress with flow-y sleeves.

"What are you working on?" Betty asked as she looked over her friend's shoulder to see what she had been drawing.

"Oh, it's a sketch of a dress that I plan on putting together within the next few days. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Betty chimed in as she examined the sketch and the use of design that was on the page.

"Do you really, Betty?"

The frumpy girl from Queens flashed her friend a reassuring smile. "Of course, I do. I think it will look wonderful."

Christina exhaled heavily as she set aside her pencils and other necessities needed to draw her sketches. She turned her chair around to look at Betty.

"So, what's going on with you?"

"Oh, nothing right now; I finally got a moment to breathe." Betty chuckled. "We're ahead of schedule on the book so it should be out to the printer today or tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Well, that's good," Christina paused as she studied Betty's features. "What do you need, Betty? Come on, come out and say it."

"Uh, this is going to sound strange, but Daniel got a call earlier today from a woman who wanted to talk to you. She got your numbers mixed up, and she called Daniel by mistake."

"That doesn't make much sense."

"Yeah, I know. She didn't even tell me her name or anything."

"What time did this woman call? I got a couple of calls earlier."

"About 10am."

"Oh yeah, I got a call around 10 from Jennifer Aniston's 'people'. She mentioned how Jennifer wanted me to design a dress for her to wear to a charity event in New York."

Betty's eyes widened. "Jennifer Aniston?!"

"Yes, I know! I couldn't believe it either," Christina replied still surprised by the request she had to fulfill.

"Well, you are one of the top ten designers to watch," Betty smiled. "I am sure whatever you come up with will be wonderful."

"Thanks, Betty." Christina smiled.

"When you were talking to this woman, you didn't happen to get a name did you?"

"No, I didn't. I was in shock over why she called that I didn't even think to get a name. Besides, she said she was in a hurry, but she would either call me or come by the office to talk to me about it later on this week."

"Hmm, that's interesting."

The unfamiliar caller was still a mystery. Sure, this woman apparently was one of Jennifer Aniston's "people", but it didn't make sense why she would call Daniel at all. Betty knew that Daniel was still trying to figure out who would be in _Mode_'s Hollywood issue, but Jennifer Aniston didn't seem to fit the focus of the next issue. It didn't make sense.

--

"Ok, Daniel, don't forget that the book will be here after you get back from the lunch with your father," Betty reminded as she walked into her boss's office.

The boss of the infamous fashion bible nodded careless as he dreaded this meeting with his father. Lately, there was a lot of tension between members of the Meade family, and Daniel wasn't exactly sure how to handle it all. He had hopes of throwing himself into his work even though now with Alexis around, he wasn't sure if he could rightfully call _Mode_ just his anymore.

"At least that issue is almost done," he reassured himself as he stared blankly at his desk, still covered with various pictures and other items that the editor thought would be helpful on developing the focus for the Hollywood issue.

The book being ahead of schedule was definitely something he could be proud of. That issue was definitely easier considering how important the Hollywood issue was to _Mode_.

Betty sat in one of the orange chairs in front of Daniel's desk with a pen and paper in hand.

"Any luck with ideas of who is going to be in the Hollywood issue?"

He sighed softly, "Not yet." He looked at his assistant who beamed with one of her bright smiles and he weakly returned her gesture.

This was definitely harder than what Daniel or Betty had anticipated. He wanted to see the lunch with his father as something that could be helpful, but knowing Bradford, he would not only want to discuss the focus of the Hollywood issue, but the Meade heir was sure that his father would feel the need to talk about Alexis and how he wanted things to be done at _Mode_.

"It's ok," Betty smiled. "You have that meeting with one of Hollywood's top publicists tomorrow. I am sure that once you talk to her, you'll think of something fitting for the issue. Don't stress too much about it."

He gave his assistant a small smile with a nod. He knew she was right. With everything that was on his plate right now with family and now this issue, things were piling up faster than he could handle.

"Before I forget, who called Christina earlier?"

"Uh…I didn't get a name," Betty said as she nervously bit at her lip. "It was one of Jennifer Aniston's 'people' about a dress that she wants Christina to design for her."

Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh."

Betty nodded. "It's still a mystery. I don't think it is anything for you to worry about, Daniel. She just had a wrong number. Besides, if it were that important, she would have said she wanted to talk to you when I asked her."

"You're right. It wasn't important apparently," he echoed.

"Oh, you need to get going. You are supposed to meet your father at the restaurant for lunch. And of course when you get back, you need to go over the book and hopefully, you'll finish up with going over it today."

Both Daniel and Betty stood up from their chairs. Daniel began to roll his sleeves down and grabbed his jacket before the two of them headed out his office door.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Betty, try to get lunch before the book gets here. You deserve a break." He smiled at her.

"Don't worry about me. I'll probably go to the cafeteria and grab a quick bite before Marc or Nick show up with the book."

"If you say so," Daniel said as he gave her a smile.

She rolled her eyes with a small smile on her face.

The two of them parted, and Daniel made his way to the elevator. He slipped on his jacket once he stood in front of the elevator. He pressed the down button and waited for the elevator to come up to the 28th floor.

Thoughts of the mystery caller still lingered in the back of his mind. He was the editor-in-chief at _Mode_ and Christina was a seamstress. No one would typically make the mistake of calling him when they meant to call her.

The ding of the elevator broke his thoughts. He stepped into the doors and pressed L for the lobby. He leaned against the wall as he tried to clear his thoughts and prepared for the lunch with his father.


	2. Blast From the Past

**Author's Note**: _The first chapter was written to pique your interest. I know you're left wondering with what's going on, but you'll find out in due time. This chapter should give you a better idea of what this story is about. I hope you like it! When it comes to Amanda's last name, I know the various websites say "Tanner", but I promise if you listen to one of the earlier podcasts and watch the episode where they say her last name, it's Tanen. I know it's not that big of a deal, but I feel better if I address it. lol I've done my research. Please feel free to read and review. ;)_

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**Chapter Two  
**_Blast from the Past_

Daniel and Bradford sat together at one of Manhattan's finest restaurants. Both of them were in the middle of their meal. The president of Meade Publications did most of the talking while his son sat and listened to what he had to say.

Things for the Meade family had definitely been shaken up as the golden son Alex came back from the dead as a transgender female…Alexis. Bradford no longer wanted anything to do with his newly transformed daughter. He had made it quite clear that Daniel would more than likely be the lone heir to the Meade fortune even though his son had always somehow fallen short of the expectations that Alex had set forth what seemed like ages ago.

"Now Daniel, I know that your mother wants you and Alex to work together at _Mode_, but I want you to keep in mind that you must have the _final_ say on everything," Bradford instructed.

"I know, dad," Daniel sighed as he knew the obstacles he faced.

Meade's lone son had to deal with working with his older sibling. He knew it wouldn't be easy especially since Alexis always felt like she had to take everything into her own hands. Just because his brother was now his sister didn't mean that Alexis had intentions of changing the way she was toward her younger brother.

"_Mode_ is essential because if you continue to excel there, you will take over the reigns of Meade Publications in the future."

Daniel nodded as he eyed his drink without saying a word.

"The Hollywood issue is very important to the magazine. It's one of the more popular issues during the year."

Daniel noticed his father's cold stare was fixed on him. He could feel his body tense with his nerves. He knew he had to meet his father's expectations even though he wanted to exceed them.

"And I don't intend on disappointing you," Daniel said to reassure himself more than Bradford.

"I heard you have a meeting with one of Hollywood's top publicists tomorrow; one of the best in the industry if her reputation holds up."

"Well, she can be an asset to _Mode_ now and in the future, if things pan out for the better," Daniel noted.

He tried to think of her name, but it had escaped from his memory. _It was Autumn something or other wasn't it?_ All he knew was Betty had gotten in touch with the New York office to schedule their meeting, and by some miracle, things had worked out for her to be available in the city just in the nick of time.

Bradford continued to talk about how things with the issue needed to work out especially with the recent events with Alexis, but Daniel started to zone his father out as his eyes scanned the restaurant around them without making it look obvious.

He saw many people enjoying their meals, talking amongst themselves; nothing too much out the ordinary until his eyes caught an attractive woman in a blush colored blouse and a black skirt. She looked oddly familiar to Daniel, but he couldn't quite place her. Without fail, he began to watch the woman intently, staring at her hoping that he would figure out who she was or why she had caught his attention. The young woman was with a colleague who sat a few tables away were chatting about something. The other woman she was with excused herself and left their table.

As the playboy continued to watch the woman alone at her table, she stared at the empty chair in front of her briefly before she turned her light blue eyes toward him. His eyes met her across the crowded room, and she gave him a small smile.

_She really does look familiar, but why?_ He thought to himself.

"Daniel? Are you listening to me?" Bradford's voice jolted him back to the lunch with his father.

"Oh, uh, dad, I'm sorry," he cleared his throat to bring his focus back to their conversation. "I am just trying to think of a clear concept for the Hollywood issue. I just have all of these ideas in mind, and I am not sure which one would be best for _Mode_."

Bradford gave him an unsure look. This restaurant wasn't the place to make a scene about whether or not his son was actually paying attention to what he had to say.

"Well, try to have something put together for your meeting tomorrow. I don't expect her to just hand you an idea without some of your own input."

Daniel had become annoyed by his father's comment and his assumption that he couldn't figure something out. Granted, he had been brainstorming for possible ideas for the past couple of days with no luck, but that didn't necessarily mean that an idea wouldn't show itself by the time of his meeting tomorrow.

As he began to think of actual ideas, the woman had caught his attention again. Now she had gotten up from her table with her associate, and the two of them were making their way toward Daniel and Bradford. A smile crept across his face as he thought the woman was coming by to say a word to him, but then he remembered, his back was to the door and the two of them were making their way to the exit. He glanced up at her face as she walked by and then he remembered.

_I'll be damned. I never thought I see her again_. _No way, it couldn't be. Could it? _

Bradford was too caught up with his lecture to Daniel to notice his son's actions. He was giving him the typical talk about how he expected his son to be now with Alex in the picture. Things that he knew would be brought up time and time again as a constant reminder.

The rest of the lunch he shared with his father was bearable. Bradford started to talk about Claire and how she hadn't been this happy in ages because of she had both of her children back in her life. He imagined his father and sister would be at each other's throats, but somehow they managed to be civil. Daniel knew they were doing it for his mother.

--

Now Daniel was back in his office. Upon his arrival, the piles of clutter had been straightened and set aside while a fresh cup of coffee and the book waiting for him on his desk which made him smile. His assistant had thought of everything.

He had already skimmed through the book and noticed Wilhelmina's and Alexis' notes.

_This should be a piece of cake_, he mused.

He remembered what Betty had said about being a co-editor-in-chief with Alex**—**Alexis.

"Now you only have to do half the work."

If it was only that easy, the lone Meade son still had trouble getting used to the idea of sharing _Mode_, but he knew Betty was right. And hopefully, his sister would be more accepting of her brother being more so in charge.

His concentration was broken by the phone ringing. He leaned over and picked up the receiver.

"Hello? Daniel Meade."

"Daniel!"

"Hey Becks, what's up?"

Beckett Scott was Daniel's best friend. They had known each other for years since their college days. Becks (as he was known as notoriously) and Daniel were seemingly cut from the same cloth when it came to the their womanizing reputations and the way both of them saw women more so as pieces of used paper that once they were finished, each woman was tossed aside and forgotten about.

The editor-in-chief decided to take a break from looking over the book. He finished writing his note on one of the articles in the issue while it was still on his mind.

"I don't think you would believe it if I told you."

"Tell me what? Come on, try me," the playboy was intrigued with the possible news.

"Dude, I got this call from Stacey Abrams earlier, and she told me that 'The Ice Princess' is in New York."

"You've got to be kidding me. Julie's back in town? I never thought I'd see the day."

Daniel heard Becks chuckle through the phone. He looked up from his desk and saw Betty typing away on her computer. He sighed softly.

Apparently, the woman he saw at lunch was who he thought she was…. Julie Madison, one of the many women from Daniel's sorted past. She had gone to college with _Mode_'s editor-in-chief and his best friend. There was something about her that made Miss Madison different from all of the other women in his life. She was probably the only woman who didn't fall for his charm. He never expected their paths to cross again. They hadn't seen each other since their college days and to see her could be seen as a blessing or a curse.

"You heard me. Julie Madison decided to come to New York, and I think it's only fitting that we pay her a visit."

Julie had been deemed "The Ice Princess" because after weeks of failed attempted neither Becks nor Daniel had made any progress with her. Becks saw her as this frigid bitch that must have been made of ice not to even be interested in either one of them back in college. Usually a couple of drinks or some smooth-talking would do the trick and they would have countless women jump into bed, but Julie Madison was different. She had seen through their meaningless allure and didn't allow either one of them to get close.

"And how is that suppose to happen? You know, we are probably the last two people on earth that she wants to see after all this time," he mentioned.

"Come on, Daniel. That was ten years ago. Besides, I just want to see if she's still a hot piece of ass."

"Well, my friend," the rich playboy began with a smug smirk on his face. "I thought I saw her today when I was at lunch earlier and you just confirmed it."

"Oh really, is that so? And you didn't bother to call me?"

Daniel chuckled softly. "I am sorry, Becks. I've been busy in the office."

"Now we _have_ to see her."

"Yeah, I guess, it wouldn't hurt," he conceded even though he had a bad feeling about it. He sat up in his chair. He ducked his head and ran a hand across the back of his neck.

"Since Stacey told me the awesome news, I am thinking that she should invite Julie out for drinks tonight. I mean, they were friends back in college, right? Why not show up at the same place and poor Julie gets stood up?" Becks said with false sympathy while holding back a laugh.

"Uh…I don't know."

"Don't be all tight-ass on me. You know you want to see her, to see how she's turned out, to see if there's a chance this time around. It's just one night besides it could be fun."

"Or it could blow up in your face," Daniel retorted.

"You can't tell me that seeing her again is a bad idea. You know you want to…"

Daniel noticed Betty looking at him through the window of his office. She was giving him one of her infamous judgmental looks, and he knew that he should be working.

He gulped before he answered, "Ok, ok, whatever. I need to get back to work."

"I thought you would see it my way," Becks said smugly. "Drinks at the usual place at 8, okay?"

"Ok, fine. Whatever. Bye."

Daniel fumbled with the phone before he finally set it back on its base. He saw drinks tonight as a reward for getting this issue to print quicker than expected. He glanced up at Betty again. This time she gave him a nod with a smile before she continued to do research for the Hollywood issue.

He flipped through the unfinished part of the book and noticed that there was less than half the book left. This had been easier than what he thought. So, Betty had been right about things being easier. The editor-in-chief sighed contently as he went on to finish what he had left off.

--

Betty had already finished proofing Daniel's letter from the editor. She could tell her boss had taken to heart what they had discussed about his letter being a public statement to _Mode_ readers especially with how things were with Alexis coming back to their family. His letter was well-written and was a nice change from his typical letters that talked about pilgrim buckles making a come back or what was considered to be the "it" item. She had looked over Alexis', but it didn't need much work. Both letters brought different aspects of what each Meade sibling wanted their readers to focus on among other things like Alexis mentioning how it was a transition to be working at _Mode_ instead of _Hudson_, but nothing that would lose the interests of readers.

She waited patiently as her boss was going over the final pages of the book while she was doing some research on the internet for which celebrities that should be in the Hollywood issue. She had written some names on a notepad by her keyboard, but nothing really stood out.

Betty heard the clicks of someone's high heels approaching her desk. She looked up and saw Amanda Tanen standing over her with a hand on her hip in typical Amanda fashion_. Mode_'s receptionist just stared down at her in disgust as she noticed the tacky outfit that Betty was wearing. Who in their right state of mind would mix orange and green like that? Amanda saw Daniel's assistant as a fashion track wreck. It was bad enough with that huge blue marshmallow coat of her, but everything else was appalling.

"I meant to tell you this sooner, but I just remembered," she began to say, trying not to sound like she cared. "That woman Daniel has that meeting with tomorrow, Autumn Mason or whatever her name is. Her secretary called to confirm their meeting at 1. Who is this Autumn Mason or whoever she is?"

"Ok, thanks, Amanda." Betty rolled her eyes with annoyance. "Autumn is one of top publicists in Los Angeles. She has taken care of a lot of Hollywood's elite."

"So, what's this I hear about Daniel and the Hollywood issue? Has he figured out who is going to on the cover?"

"Uh, he has some ideas, but he's just not sure which one works for_ Mode_," Betty replied, trying to sound confident.

"I thought publicists only came with the celebrities they represent and not before." Amanda stared at Betty like she was idiot.

"Normally they would, but since this is a huge issue for _Mode_ and this is Daniel's first Hollywood issue, we thought it would be a better idea for Daniel to collaborate with a top publicist to come up with the best idea for everyone involved."

"Oh."

Betty just flashed her co-worker a huge smile without fail which made Amanda's stomach turn before she noticed Daniel motioning her to come into his office.

The plain Jane gave her boss a nod before she got up from her chair. "Duty calls," she mentioned. She grabbed the folder off her desk of Daniel's and Alexis's letters from the editor to put them in the book.

She maneuvered around the petite receptionist and made her way in Daniel's office.

"Finished so soon?" Betty grinned with folder in hand.

"Almost," Daniel said as he looked up from the final pages he had to go through. "I have about 10 pages to go, nothing major."

Betty gave him a smile as she approached his desk. She placed the folder on his desk.

"I am impressed," she praised. "Your letter is definitely a nice change from what _you _normally write about."

He just looked back at her, not sure of what to say.

"Daniel, relax," she chuckled. "I am serious. Your letter is fitting under the circumstances."

The editor-in-chief of _Mode_ picked up the folder and looked over the page Betty had put together where his and his sister's letters were side-by-side. He skimmed over Alexis' letter, surprised that the tone of her letter had been civil and somewhat out of character for the typical Alex Daniel had to contend with his whole life. Maybe Alexis had changed for the better, but Daniel couldn't be so sure. There was going to be a tiny part of him that had his doubts, but he was willing to give their new beginning a chance.

"Thank you, Betty. When I'm done with this, the letters from editors will be the last thing I'll add, and then you can drop the book of on your way home."

"Wow, a day where I get to go home early?" Betty mocked with shock.

Daniel chuckled. "Yeah, don't get used to it," he teased. "I can figure something out to make you stay longer today, you know."

"Oh I wouldn't doubt that," she laughed. "And the publicist from Hollywood, Autumn Mason…I believe that's her name…confirmed your meeting for tomorrow."

"Okay, good. Well, let me get back to this so I can get this done and you can head home at descent hour."

"Sure, I better not take this for granted." Betty tried to keep a straight face, but it didn't work.

The two of them shared a laugh before she left his office so Daniel could get back to the task he had to finish.


	3. Some Things Never Change

**Author's Note**: _When it comes to the way Becks is, I had a little bit of trouble with his character considering we don't see enough of him on the show, which somehow saddens me. lol So, I am hoping that I am as close to his character as I can be. Please let me know what you think. Also, thanks to all of the people who actually put some input about the bet, it took me forever to come up with something so I hope this seems fitting._

* * *

**Chapter Three  
**_Some Things Never Change_

After Daniel finished up with the book at the office along with sending his town car to take Betty to the printer, he finally had a night where he could unwind from being editor-in-chief of_ Mode_. He and Becks had plans to have drinks at one of their usual hangouts. These two usually used this bar to pick up countless women, but tonight was going to be interesting considering they had plans to meet up with someone from their past.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Daniel mentioned as he and his best friend walked along the sidewalk in Manhattan. His hands were tucked in his pockets, and his head was filled with mixed emotions.

"Oh, please, Daniel. You're dying to see Julie just like I am. We let the 'Ice Princess' slip away from us once, but if it were up to me, it won't happen twice," Beck said with vengeance in his voice. He was bound and determined to make sure that things would not be like they were back in the day.

"Like she'll let either of us be _that _lucky," Daniel said as he stared down at his shoes.

"Oh, ye have little faith, my friend. I was talking to Stacey earlier and apparently, Julie isn't just visiting New York. She just moved here from LA not even a week ago so I am sure we'll see more of her around town."

Daniel gave Becks a skeptical look. "Neither one of us won that bet in college. Remember, we did about everything we could without any luck."

"Yeah, but that was then. 'The Ice Princess' has to of thawed some since then."

Julie Madison had gone to college with Daniel and Becks, and she was seen as a challenge. Becks and Daniel had considered to her to be the ultimate score in terms of their man-whore reputations if either one of them could get her to sleep with him. She wasn't like any of the other women in their lives where she would jump into bed with either of them at the drop of a hat. Julie was probably the only woman in their past that had enough sense to say no, to see through their ulterior motives.

Both of them had been notorious for their reputations which started back in college. The two of them have a strong competitive streak especially when it came to the women they wanted to have sex with. That hadn't been a secret particularly with the way both of them would gloat about it any chance they got until the next woman came along. Julie was seen as the girl who neither one would let the other live down that he had slept with her first, but to no avail, nothing panned out. They both had amply opportunities, but both had fallen short of being victorious.

Daniel shook his head with a chuckle. "You never cease to amaze me. You'll never let her go, will you?"

"Hell no!" Becks chimed in. "She was a major hottie back then, and there is no way in hell that I am going to let you live this down if I get to her first."

The two of them had almost arrived at the bar when Beck's cell phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked down to see who the call was from. A devilish grin appeared on his face as he looked up at Daniel before he answered.

"Hey there, lovely lady," he said in his normal smooth-talking manner.

"Oh, Becks," the woman giggled. "I just called Julie to let her know that I couldn't make it. She mentioned that she's sitting at a table away from the bar in the back."

"Stacey, you're amazing! We'll get together soon, okay?"

"Oh, you know it. I can't wait."

"I'll call you later. Bye, babe."

Becks closed his cell phone before he shoved it back in his pocket. He had this smug look on his face. The two of them entered the bar. Daniel took in a deep breathe as the two of them began their search for the one who got away.

"She's at a table in the back." Becks mentioned as he began to look around to see if he could find her.

After a few minutes, Daniel nudged Becks when he spotted Julie. "There she is."

Becks grinned with a look in his eye like a cat on the prowl.

Julie Madison sat at a table in the back of the trendy bar. She wore a black cocktail dress with thin straps that showed off her slender curves. She had wavy brown hair with natural highlights. She hadn't seen Stacey since her last visit to New York which had been a couple of years ago. Julie was about to get up to leave when she noticed two familiar faces coming toward her.

"Wow, Daniel, look, it's 'the Ice Princess'," Becks said as the two of them made their way to Julie's table. "I mean, the lovely Julie Madison."

She looked up in their direction with disgust. She couldn't believe she had fallen for one of Becks' schemes, and of course, Daniel came along. She crossed her arms as she waited to see what they wanted.

"Typical," she said under her breathe. Her face tensed slightly. "Oh God, look what the cat dragged in," Julie said annoyed as she rolled her eyes. "Old habits die hard."

Without asking, Daniel and Becks took it upon themselves to take a seat in the empty chairs at Julie's table. She was surrounded.

"Come on, Julie, can't I even get a hello?" Becks said with a smile.

"Uh, Becks, still the smooth-talking man whore, I see." She said dryly as her eyes narrowed. She stared at him briefly with suspicious look.

"My, how things _haven't_ changed," Becks observed as he realized she was just as frigid now as she was back then…maybe even worse.

"Ouch, nice try," Daniel chimed in before he flashed Julie a confident smile. "Julie Madison, it's been what? 10 years?"

_Ten of the most peaceful years of my life_, she thought to herself. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "Ah, Daniel Meade, editor-in-chief of _Mode_ magazine, how did you manage to convince daddy-dearest Bradford to let his womanizing "I would rather sleep with the models that get work done" son have _that _position?"

"You haven't changed. Still a frigid bitch, I see." Beck said annoyed by the fact that his plans weren't as easy as he imagined.

"Yeah, well, you two always seem to bring that out of me." Julie smirked.

"Can't we let bygones be bygones?" Daniel asked, pleading for her to give them a little leeway.

Daniel had been right about Julie and the way she was toward them. It was like she always saw the two of them scheming and plotting a way for them to get her to sleep with either one of them.

"Well, Mr. Editor-in-Chief, if you and your obnoxious friend here want to buy me a drink, maybe…just maybe, you two can convince me otherwise. And who knows, maybe you could convince me to thaw a little." Julie grinned at Daniel as she softened the expression on her face.

_Is she trying to be flirty?_ Daniel wondered to himself as he watched the look on her face.

"Maybe a drink would do you good," Becks suggested with spite. "Hopefully, it will get your panties out of a wad, and you won't feel the need to be such a bitch."

Julie rolled her eyes at him.

"So, Julie, what can we get you?" Daniel asked as he watched her carefully.

"I was going to order a Cosmo," she paused as she thought about who she was stuck with for the night. "But since I have you two as company, I guess, I'll have a beer."

"Uh, I'll go get our drinks," Becks volunteered. He shot his best friend a "get her to chill out" look before he got up to get their drinks.

"I heard you've moved here from LA, was it?" Daniel asked nonchalantly as he had propped an arm on the back of his chair as he faced her.

"I see news travels fast," she observed. "I guess, you could say that." She narrowed her eyes slightly at him before her defensive expression softened.

"So, why the change?" Daniel's eyes became fixed on her. He stared at her, trying to figure out the woman behind this cold exterior that she insisted to have when he and Becks were around.

"I am not much of an LA kind of girl." Julie explained with a shrug.

She drew in a deep breath as her eyes glanced down at the table before she caught Daniel staring at her. She studied the expression on his face, but she couldn't figure out what the small smile on his face meant with that look in his eyes.

She pursed her lips and continued. "Once I figured out what Los Angeles had to offer besides the gilts and the glam, it just wasn't where I wanted to live anymore," she explained. "Don't get me wrong, I like LA, but it lost its luster."

Daniel nodded without saying a word. Neither one of them broke their gaze from each other. It was like the two of them were trying to size up the other person.

Becks had three long neck beer bottles in his hands as he made his way back to their table. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed the two of them sharing an intense moment. He developed a smirk on his face before he said a word.

"So, what did you two talk about while I was gone?" Becks asked as he placed a beer in front of Julie and slid the otheranother one to his friend.

Julie's eyes shifted, breaking her gaze from Daniel. She cleared her throat. "I was just telling Daniel about why I moved here from LA."

"And why did ya, Julie? Did you miss _me_ thatmuch to come back?" Becks asked before he sat back down in his chair and took a swig from his beer.

Her eyes narrowed as she turned her attention to Becks with that grin on his face. "In your dreams," she laughed. "Besides, LA wasn't all it was cracked up to be and seeing someone like you reminds me why I should have stayed," she hissed. Without missing a beat, she grabbed her beer and took a long drink.

"Now how in the world could anyone get tired of the endless parties and booze that Hollywood has to offer?" Becks asked with a chuckle. "It sounds like my kind of town."

"Well, not everyone is like Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton," She scoffed. "Some of us actually have jobs, you know. Becks, let me know when whoring around is something that should be put on a resume or better yet;, let me guess, you have it in bold print on yours."

Now wasn't the time, but Daniel couldn't contain a laugh when it came to what she had said. Becks and Julie always seemed to spar with against each other with a battle of words and once again, Julie 1 Becks 0. All Becks could do was glare at Julie before he started to down his beer.

Julie silently laughed to herself before she looked at him with an innocent look like she hadn't done anything wrong.

"As I was saying, Daniel, I've always considered New York to be home. There's just something about the city that different from anywhere else I've been."

She looked up at the bar while she pushed her beer away. "A beer's not going to cut it tonight." A sigh escaped from her lips. "I assume you need another beer, Becks." She giggled as she noticed Becks had finished off the one he had.

Becks grumbled something as Julie got up from their table. She leaned over to grab her purse.

"Daniel?"

Daniel gave her a nod before she left to get them all another round of drinks.

"She sure showed you," Daniel chuckled softly, concealing his face with his beer.

"Yeah, yeah," Becks rolled rolled his eyes. "She's a piece of work. Damn, this is harder than I expected."

"I told you this wasn't going to be easy." Daniel reminded his friend before he took the last sip of his beer.

"We'll see about that. Not for me, but you on the other hand…"

Becks trailed off, unable to say what he had in mind when he saw Julie coming back to their table with a Manhattan martini with two cherries in one hand and their beers in the other.

"Well?" Daniel asked intrigued by what Becks had started to say.

"Later, bud."

Julie cleared her throat as she made it back to their table. She held out her hand with both beers. Both Daniel and Becks took a beer from her.

"Consider it a peace offering, Becks." Julie smiled, more relaxed than she had been all night with the two of them.

Becks gave her a nod, unsure of what to say. He didn't want the tense to surface between the two of them again like it was earlier.

The rest of evening had been fun once Becks stopped trying to be at odds with Julie, and she stopped being so cold toward the two of them. After a couple more rounds of drinks, the three of them shared some laughs about their college days. Becks and Daniel were also surprised by Julie and her knowledge of sports. Something that neither one of them didn't expect from the girl they remembered from back then.

"Well, you two," Julie began as she ran a finger around the rim of her martini glass, "I think I am going to call it a night." She took the last sip of her martini.

"So soon?" Daniel wondered before he looked down at his watch. "It's only 11:30."

Julie chuckled softly. "Yeah, well, I have long day tomorrow. I'm not the boss of a magazine or anything like that where I can set my own hours," she said playfully.

"Neither am I," Becks mentioned.

"But I am not like you. Thank God." Julie giggled softly. "I never thought I would say this, but somehow, I managed to have fun tonight."

"Yeah, we did too." Daniel smiled.

"You know, Julie, when you aren't all frigid, you aren't actually kinda fun to be around." Becks said with a wink.

Julie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, when you aren't trying to get into my pants, you aren't half bad yourself," she sighed as she got up from her chair. She grabbed her coat from the back of her chair and slipped it on along with her purse.

"We should get together, more often," Daniel offered as he finished off the last of his beer.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Julie grinned.

"It could be fun," Becks chuckled.

"What's your definition of 'fun'? Let's be realistic, the two of you _just_ had drinks with me. No strings attached? I don't see that happening twice," she laughed.

A sly grin crossed Beck's face. "Oh, you never know, we could surprise you."

"I doubt that when it comes to you two especially you, Beckett," Julie said, shaking her head. "But we'll see."

"So, we'll be seeing you around," Daniel smiled.

"Only time will tell," she nodded. "Enjoy the rest of your evening doing whatever it is the two of you do."

"Take care." Daniel offered.

Julie wrapped her coat around her and flashed both of them a smile before she made her exit.

"Bye Julie," Becks called out over his shoulder, watching her leave.

"Now what did you want to say earlier?" Daniel asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"You know, Daniel, I've been thinking and it's pretty clear that Julie Madison and I wouldn't be hitting the sheets anytime soon, but you and her, I see some potential there." Becks observed with a smirk.

Daniel laughed. "You have to be kidding me, right?"

"Apparently, you didn't see the way you two were looking at each other earlier."

"Whatever, dude."

"Come on, hear me out. I noticed this connection between you two tonight whether you did or not."

"You're funny, Becks."

"I am serious, Daniel. I want to make a bet with you."

"Not another bet that involves Julie Madison," Daniel sighed.

"Oh please, you love the thrill of the chase." Becks stared at him. "Admit it."

Daniel just rolled his eyes before he conceded. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I've been thinking," Becks began with a glimmer in his eye, "That assistant of yours…Betty; I always hear you talking about how great she is and all that's she's done for you, but what if I could 'borrow' her for a little while."

"You borrow Betty?" Daniel gave him a curious look. "You do realize she's not like any assistant I have had before, right?"

Becks laughed. "Obviously, considering you haven't slept with her."

"Betty's not like that."

"I've noticed. As I was saying, Betty gets to be my assistant if I win."

_Betty gets to be my assistant if I win_. Those words rang out in Daniel's mind. Betty was more to Daniel that just some girl in his life that he would toss aside once he was done with her. Obviously, Betty was more than just an assistant. She was his confidant, and she had done more for him than he imagined that anyone else would have.

"Nope, I won't do that to Betty. I mean, sleeping with Julie is huge, but there is no way in hell I would put Betty through that even if I didn't win. She doesn't deserve to be put through that and God knows what you'd have her do. I have a feeling what you would make her do things that would be ten times worse than what I made her do to quit after she started to work at _Mode_. She doesn't deserve anything you'd put her through."

"Damn, Daniel, I wasn't expecting you to be all over-protective of your unsightly assistant. My God, she's just a girl who works for you. It's not like she's your mother or something. Hell, you aren't dating her. I don't even see why you'd remotely give a shit."

Daniel sighed heavily as he knew better than to try to explain Betty to Becks. His relationship with Betty had definitely been something that he wasn't used to or could even describe if he wanted to actually. She definitely was different from any assistant he had before and quite frankly, she wasn't like any woman he had met with the exception of Julie.

Betty and Julie were the two women in Daniel's life where things weren't like any of the others. Betty was a friend, his assistant, the one he went to when he couldn't figure something out and somehow she knew what to say. On the other hand, Julie was a challenge. He wasn't sure what to think when it came to her and the way she was toward him. Daniel had always known that Julie despised Becks for the way he was with her, but she wasn't like that with him and he couldn't figure out why she wasn't. Seemingly, Becks and Daniel were cut from the same cloth, but apparently, Julie didn't see it that way.

"You know, if you don't sleep with Julie, you have to let me have dibs on every hot lady that comes through _Mode_ and that reputation of yours goes up in smoke. If you can't land Julie, then you're a wash-up, a has-been. Daniel Meade, the one who failed at getting the gold. Too bad I'll never have a chance with her. She's hotter now than what she was back then." Becks said with a sly smirk as he was setting Daniel up for failure.

"You think I am going let you win that easily? Oh please, Julie tends to be a bitch from time to time, but I don't act like you do when it comes to her. She always manages to see through your typical 'approach' to women. She's not some giggly blonde who is willing to throw herself at you."

Becks folded his arms and leaned back in his chair as he took in what Daniel had to say. "I don't see you having_ that_ much luck with her. She seems to be dead-set against either of us wooing her, but I am sure you can handle a challenge. I'm sure you dealt with women like her before, remember Sofia?"

Daniel's jaw tightened slightly as Becks brought up her. The one he thought was the one that managed to make a mockery of their relationship all for a stupid article for her magazine.

"Let's not go there." Daniel groaned. "But yeah, Julie's a challenge, but she's worth the trouble to get there. To hear you finally admit that _I_ am the one who got the 'Ice Princess' to melt and that it was me who gets her all hot and bothered among other things."

"Yeah, whatever, man. We'll see if it ever happens," his friend laughed. "So, I definitely get dibs on any woman that comes through_ Mode_ Hell, I would make you get the word loser tattooed on forehead, but I am sure your dad would throw a shit fit over that one and there's no way you'd be able to wear enough makeup to cover that up."

Daniel laughed at the thought, but he knew damn well that he had no intentions of losing this bet to his best friend.

"And if I win?"

"Like that will happen, but if you win…come up with something, dude. Even though I am sure I'll get what I want regardless of this bet or not."

"You know, Becks, I would like to see you attempt to get to know Betty. You don't give Betty enough credit where it's due. She's not like my other assistants. Of course I haven't slept with her. I don't see Betty as a conquest, but you may learn something from her. You could be surprised."

"You've got to be kidding me? You sound like a something off a sappy romantic chick flick or some shit like that," Becks scoffed.

Daniel just shook his head. "If I am willing to give up my reputation for this bet, then you have to be willing to actually get to know someone who totally isn't your type."

"Um, sure," Becks reluctantly agreed. "If I win, I get to have dibs on every woman that comes through _Mode_ and if you win, I guess, I'll actually attempt to get to know Betty." He rolled his eyes at the absurd thought of having to talk to Betty about something besides leaving messages for Daniel or asking her to connect him to his friend at the office.

The perturbed look on Becks' face said it all as it seemed to be a mixture of disgust with a little bit of concern. Daniel wasn't used to seeing that look on Becks' face, but it definitely made him have a little smirk on his face.

Daniel was determined to win this bet, to see Becks do something he never thought he was capable, and Betty could do his friend some good.

* * *

_Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave a review! ;) _


	4. Isn't That Something?

**Author's Note**: _I had a feeling chapter three would definitely make this story a must-read considering what the bet was about. Chapter three has been my favorite chapter to write thus far. Now that I have a full-time job, I will go ahead and warn you that you may have to wait a little while longer between chapters considering the circumstances, but I can promise you that I haven't given up on this. Believe me, I have put so much time and effort behind this fic that I won't just abandon it anytime soon. So sit back, relax, and enjoy chapter four! Also thanks to Olivia Adams Smith for all of the support and encouragement! Gotta love my beta :)_

* * *

**Chapter Four  
**_Isn't That Something?_

It was the big day for Daniel Meade. During the course of the morning, Daniel had called a meeting with _Mode_'s staff about how things would be in the coming weeks with having celebrities make their way in and out of the office for one of the most anticipated issues of the fashion magazine.

He had this huge publicist coming into the office to help him with the Hollywood issue. _Mode_'s editor-in-chief spent the majority of the day in his office with his assistant brainstorming ideas.

Danielwas sprawled out on the couch in his office while his assistant sat in one of the chairs across from the small glass table. Betty had jotted several ideas on her usual notepad while her boss had his eyes closed as he tried to think of more ideas.

"Well, let's try to think about something that is going to be huge for the summer. I mean, I jotted down some names, but I am not sure which celebrities would be something _Mode _would focus on," Betty offered.

"My father decided to make the Hollywood issue a double issue, Betty. So whatever it is that we come up with has to be huge." Daniel said as he used to his hands to gesture "huge".

Betty sighed as she started to drum her fingers lightly on her notepad. "I see your father wants you to go all out for this issue."

He let out a frustrated sigh as he sat up from the couch. "He's setting me up for failure…yet again."

"Daniel, we both know you can handle this. I know it seems like a challenge now, but you'll get through it," she looked over at her boss with a smile and a reassuring look.

"Thanks, Betty," he smiled with a nod.

"Besides, you wouldn't have this meeting with a publicist to help you out with the issue. We've come up with a few ideas that could be useful."

"That's true," he reasoned.

The two of them did have some ideas that were jotted down on paper. It wasn't like they didn't have anything to offer for the issue. Besides, that was the point of the publicist coming to _Mode _in the first place, to help come up with a concept and get the people_ Mode_ wanted for their issue.

Daniel had been putting too much pressure on himself with his father breathing down his neck about making this issue successful as well as wondering if Alexis had anything up her sleeves. He wanted to please his father and put out the best Hollywood issue that he possibly could. And maybe with some luck, he could put together an issue that better than anyone had expected from him, the playboy Meade.

"Do you want me to get you something to eat, Daniel?" Betty asked as she stood up from her chair.

"Uh, no, I'm okay, but if you want to get something, you can," he offered his assistant.

"You've done as much as I have today," she reminded. "Come on, you need to eat something. I can order us some Chinese if you want. We've been busy all morning. You need to take a tiny break before your meeting with Autumn Mason."

Daniel nodded. "Okay."

"Ok, good. Let me go take care of that and type up the ideas that we've come up with for your meeting."

Betty left Daniel's office to take care of what she had mentioned while Daniel tried to tidy up his office for his meeting.

--

The infamous publicist from Hollywood made her way into the Meade Publications building. Autumn Mason was in a black pants suit with a pastel purple blouse with her stylish sunglasses along with her long black coat. The publicist had her purse and a small briefcase in hand. She had taken an elevator to the 28th floor.

Autumn walked through the corridor of _Mode_ and made her way to the circular reception desk. Amanda Tanen sat behind the desk with her headset on while she was sharing the latest piece of gossip with her partner-in-crime, Marc St. James.

The woman behind several of Hollywood's top celebrities cleared her throat to get their attention and neither one of them noticed her. She stood there for a minute before she decided to say anything.

"Excuse me. I don't know who either of you think you are, but I have an appointment with Daniel Meade at one o'clock. Can either one of you tell me where his office is?" Autumn raised her voice.

Both of them scoffed before they stopped talking to look at her.

"Oh, you're _that_ publicist," Amanda observed as she looked up to finally acknowledge the woman standing in front of her.

"You could say that," Autumn hissed as she stood there, getting impatient as she began to tap the floor with her high heels.

"I thought publicists only came with the celebrities," Marc said, giving Autumn a questionable look.

"You would think," Amanda mentioned, "But Betty said something about this being major for Daniel and whatever it is she said."

Amanda finally got up from her chair and stepped out from behind the desk. "Hold that thought, Marc. I'll be right back. You have to finish telling me about that fashion mistake Catie from features made. We so have to dish."

"It's about time," Autumn murmured under her breath as she followed Amanda to the hall to where Betty's desk was in front of Daniel's office.

Without saying a word, Amanda motioned Autumn toward Betty's desk and hurried her way back to Marc. She had to know what Marc was telling her.

"Um, excuse me," Autumn said with a softer tone to Betty who was typing away on her keyboard at her desk.

"Yes? Can I help you?" Betty said with a smile where you could see all of her braces.

"I have an appointment with Daniel Meade at one."

"Ah, you're the publicist from Hollywood. It's nice to meet you. I am Betty Suarez, Daniel Meade's assistant."

"Uh, where's Daniel?" Autumn asked as she noticed his office was empty.

"Oh, Daniel had a last minute meeting with Wilhelmina Slater. He should be back any minute. Why don't you go ahead and have a seat in his office?"

Autumn nodded. "Thank you."

"Oh, no problem."

Autumn made her way into Daniel's office and set down her purse and briefcase on the clear glass table between the two white chairs and couch. She took a seat and waited for Daniel to come back for their meeting.

--

Daniel glanced at his watch as he was walking back to his office after his last minute meeting with Wilhelmina about the Hollywood issue. She had gotten wind that Daniel had this meeting with a publicist from Los Angeles, and she insisted that she talk to _Mode_'s editor-in-chief before their meeting.

Betty approached her boss in the hallway before he made it back to his office.

"Daniel, Autumn Mason is waiting in your office."

"Ok, thanks, Betty." Daniel said.

"No problem." She noticed the look of unease on her boss's face. "She seems really nice. Just talk to her about the ideas we came up with and I am sure you two will figure out something for the issue."

Daniel checked to make sure his cufflinks were buttoned and straightened his tie and suit jacket before he made it into his office. Betty followed him into his office with her usual pen and paper in hand to keep on eye on him to make sure that he or the publicist didn't need anything.

He saw Autumn Mason sitting down in a white chair, waiting for him to come to his office.

"Um, Miss Mason, I am sorry to keep you waiting," Daniel offered as he stood behind her.

Autumn turned around to look up him and before she had a chance to say anything.

"Julie?!" Daniel's eyes widened with shock as Julie Madison sat in the chair.

He couldn't believe it. The two of them had just had drinks together the night before, and he had no clue that she had an appointment at _Mode_ the next day.

"Hello, Mr. Meade or do I really have to call you that considering I'm well aware of your reputation, Daniel?" She smiled with a small smirk on her face as she took in the look of surprise on his face to see her in the least likely place. She stood up from her chair to be at eye level with the editor-in-chief.

"Uh, Daniel's fine." He gulped as he stared at her dumbfounded.

A huge smile came across Julie's face as she took in the sight of Daniel Meade surprised to see her especially on his turf. She had surprised him, and she was proud of it.

"Um, I am confused," Betty mentioned as she saw the smug look on Julie's face and the **flabbergasted look Daniel could not hide.**

"Betty, right?" Julie asked to make sure that Betty was her name. Betty smiled at her with a nod.

"Betty, I am Autumn _Madison_," she stressed. "I think the receptionist at RSM assumes my name is Autumn Mason or something. I am sure she mentioned that I am new to the office."

"Oh, right, she did," Betty said with a nervous chuckle as she pushed her glasses back up on the bridge of her nose.

"I haven't had a chance to hire my own secretary among other things considering I have been out of the office since I started working at the New York City office late last week."

"Julie, you're the publicist from Los Angeles?" Daniel finally choked up as he began to put two and two together when it came to Julie moving back to New York from Los Angeles.

"I go by Autumn now, but I guess you can still call me Julie. I'll give you a break," she giggled softly.

Daniel ran his hands down his tie as he tried to regain his composure.

_That bet's not going to be as easy I thought._ He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and let it rest on the back of his neck.

"Betty, I'm sorry for the confusion," Julie said.

"Oh, it's ok. Don't worry about it." His assistant reassured.

Julie smiled with a nod. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"I am not sure how long my meeting with Mr. Meade…Daniel will last. So, could you tell Christina that I'll either come by after the meeting or I'll call her later to discuss the dress she is designing for Jennifer Aniston?"

"Oh, that was you?"

Julie chuckled softly. "Yes, it was. I am sorry for being short with you yesterday, but with the way everything has been lately, I haven't had time to hire a secretary or much of anything since I really haven't settled into my office yet."

"It's not a problem. I'll get right on it."

"Thank you."

"Uh, Daniel, do you need anything?"

Daniel just shook his head without a saying a word as he tried to evaluate the situation in his mind about how he would approach things especially now that he had to work with Julie instead of just trying to seduce her.

Betty flashed him a smile and mouthed "good luck" before she left his office and closed the door behind her.

"Autumn now, Julie?"

Daniel gave her a curious look. He debated whether or not to go over and greet her properly, but he decided against it and went over and sat behind his desk instead.

"Well, when I went to grad school, I decided to go by my first name. Besides, Autumn stands out, and I needed that especially in Hollywood."

Julie observed the way Daniel was acting before she decided to make her way to the chairs in front of his desk. She picked up a small stack of paper from the table and went to sit in one of the orange chairs in front of _Mode_'s editor-in-chief.

"And you couldn't tell me about this meeting last night over drinks?"

Julie snickered softly to herself. "And miss the look on your face to see me at _Mode_? I don't think so, Daniel. It was priceless by the way."

She gave him an angelic look just like she had given Becks the night before, and she couldn't help feel the need to laugh at him, which she did to herself.

"So, you're the high-profile publicist from Hollywood who is supposed to help me out with this issue of _Mode_?" Daniel echoed to make sure that he understood the situation he had to deal with.

"Oh, I will. _Mode_'s the last major thing that I have to work on through the LA office and once this is done, I'll focus on work here in New York."

Daniel studied the expression on her face. He wondered if she was being sincere or was she putting up a front like Sofia had before.

"You know, Julie, I think it's only fair that I take you out for dinner. I mean, it would be a business dinner of course and we could discuss _Mode_ and you wouldn't have to worry about Becks showing up," he offered with a genuine smile.

"Let's get some work done now that I am here and then I'll think about dinner."

"That's fair, I guess," he conceded with a nervous chuckle.

"Ok, Mr. Editor-in-Chief, what do you have in mind when it comes to what you want for this issue of _Mode_?"

Julie gave the man behind _Mode_ an inquiring look. The Daniel Meade Julie remembered more than likely couldn't come up with an idea that could be useful. She had imagined he wasn't the type to actually show up to work on time let alone get some actual work done.

"Well, I have a list of some ideas. I am thinking _Mode_ could have the issue focus on Hollywood blockbusters of the summer. You know with movies like Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Spiderman 3, Oceans 13, and Shrek 3," he stated as he held out the list Betty had typed up earlier.

Julie took the list from his hand and began to look over it. She sat there in silence as she read over the list that took up more than half a page.

Somehow playboy Daniel Meade had put a list together that was seemingly impressive considering she expected him to not even have a single thing prepared for them to discuss let alone this list of ideas to look at.

Daniel sat at his desk as he nervously watched Julie to see her reaction. He waited impatiently and the silence seemed to be deafening and thickened around them.

Finally after what seemed like hours, Julie cleared her throat before the eyes lifted from the list and she turned her attention back to him.

She observed the look of his face. It was like Daniel was holding his breath. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him. Her expression softened as she pursed her lips together.

"I never thought I'd see the day where Daniel Meade actually surprises me. When I heard about you taking over _Mode_, I thought you and this magazine would fail miserably, but you haven't and that's shocking for me especially with the way you are known to be; even though, I am sure Pagesix is still trying to get money shots of you." A small smirk crept across her face.

Daniel thought that he had finally gotten her to ease up on him, but Julie didn't cease to surprise him either. Right when he thought he had made a tad bit of progress with her, she snaps back to be her typical frigid self. He had no idea what their boundaries were, and he couldn't tell when he had crossed the line. It was to the point where his head began to spin.

Julie observed the look on Daniel's face. She had seemingly made it appear like she was going to cut into the editor-in-chief of_ Mode_ every chance she got. Becks wasn't around so she had to unleash her wrath on someone and for the time being Daniel had become her target.

He gulped as his stomach began to knot with uneasiness as he began to loosen his tie.

"Come on, Julie. Let's be reasonable. I've been able to hold my own here at _Mode_. The Hollywood issue is huge for this magazine, and I would appreciate it if you would give me some input about this." Daniel mentioned as he attempted to get her focus on the reason for their meeting instead of allowing her to throw insults at him. He knew he had been in a jerk in the past, but obviously, he was trying to be a better person now. And Julie apparently hadn't realized that so he tried to prove himself to her.

"Well, your ideas…." Julie trailed off as her eyes skimmed his list again, "…aren't half bad. It's a wise choice to focus on the blockbuster movies of the summer." She cleared her throat and with that, it was like her tone had changed and her stand-offish attitude melted away.

"My father had decided to make May's _Mode_ a double issue so I am sure if we work together, we can figure something out to fill the size of two issues."

"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem if you approach things correctly. I see that _Mode_ is in the top five when it comes to circulation count, correct?"

Julie eyed him, wondering if he would have a smug response to her question. She had done her research and already knew the answer to the question, but she wanted to see if Daniel would be arrogant about this just like he had been about all of the women had slept with in college or even now for that matter.

"You could say that," he simply said. He watched the look on her face. "So, what do you have in mind?"

"Let me ask you this question and tell me what you think about this, okay?"

Daniel nodded with a questionable look on his face.

"Do you want to do a typical double issue where it's the size of two magazine put together or would you like it to be where you put out two issues separately in one month?" Julie wondered.

The editor-in-chief of_ Mode _was somehow thrown off by her question. Daniel wasn't exactly expecting for her to ask him that. To him, it didn't make sense considering he wouldn't have thought of making the Hollywood issue be two separate ones.

"Since I know _Mode_ is in the top five, Daniel, don't sit there and tell me that it isn't or that you don't know. This is _Mode_ we are talking about here." She drew in a deep breath. "I have a feeling having two separate issues would definitely be fitting for _Mode_ and this particular month. I know for the sake of the magazine, it usually focuses on women for their covers, but having a cover for women and a cover for men would double this magazine'scirculation count for the month. I am not saying that you have to have two entirely different issues, but having it to where people have to buy both issues to get the full scoop on both sides when it comes to these blockbusters and movie stars would definitely up the ante."

Daniel let out a sigh as he took in what she had suggested. He wasn't exactly sure if it was something that should be done. He wasn't sure if he or the staff could handle the demand that was needed for the vision that Julie had.

"If you want me to be the one to pitch the idea to Wilhelmina...I'll even go straight to Bradford if I need to."

He chuckled softly about her offer. "I think I can take care of that myself."

Julie gave him a serious, yet curious look. Maybe Daniel wasn't the same person she remembered, but she wasn't entirely willing to get him much credit until she was certain that he was capable of deserving it.

She cleared her throat before she got up from her chair to go back to where her briefcase was in his office. "So, which stars from these movies would you like to have on your covers, Mr. Editor-in-Chief?"

Julie bent down to dig through her briefcase to get a pen and some paper so she could jot down some notes from this meeting with Daniel.

"Uh, well…" he gulped at the sight of Julie bending down to get whatever it was out of her briefcase. He wasn't paying attention to what she was doing, but checking out her "assets". His face lit up with a devious smirk because he liked what he saw.

After retrieving what she needed, Julie came back to her chair, surprised by the look on Daniel's face.

"Uh, are you okay?"

_Damn, I've been caught_, he thought to himself. "Um, yeah," he cleared his throat as he straightened his tie.

"So, who do you want for the issue, Daniel?"

Julie drew a four box chart on her notepad with the name of the four movies that she and Daniel had been talking about. The two of them began to brainstorm ideas of who would be best suited for _Mode_'s Hollywood issue. Each one would come up with names and ideas while the publicist wrote down ideas and names of celebrities until the two of them came up with a list that seemed to be sufficient.

"Well, that was definitely productive," Julie observed as she finally put down her pen and slid the list of ideas and celebrities across the desk to Daniel. "What do you think?"

She began to unclench and re-clench her writing hand as she tried to regain the feeling of it. She started to shake it gingerly to get the blood circulating it again.

"Well, this looks great, but are you going to be able to get everyone needed for the photo shoots?"

"I won't say it will be easy, but with my connections in Hollywood and my know-how, things should piece themselves together. There are some people who own me favors so this should work out." She nodded with a reassured smile.

"That's great."

"I'll get back to you on Monday to let you know if things pan out, but you need to do your part and see if Wilhelmina and Bradford will like the idea of two separate issues for this month. I think it will increase your sales along with bringing in more readers to _Mode_."

Daniel took in what Julie had to say with a nod. He watched her carefully as he sized her up and thought about how he was going to win this bet. Since she was the publicist from Hollywood, it definitely made it a little harder him to win that bet he had with Becks. It was bad enough that she was seemingly frigid, but now that he had to work with her. It complicated the entire situation, but the thought of seeing Becks deal with how he would actually talk to Betty about something with actual substance instead of leaving cryptic, perverted messages for his assistant to rely to him would be interesting. Besides, the idea of Betty making sure that Becks understood that she wasn't some mindless blonde would be fun to see.

"Oh, of course, I'll get right on that," he reassured her. "So, since you and I have gotten a lot done today, have you thought about dinner tonight?"

Julie quietly chuckled to herself as she shook her head. Daniel Meade…try as he may, he was still that guy who stuck to his guns about taking a woman out. She had seen it way too many times before, but this time she actually considered giving in to his request. In a way, she saw it as a possible bad idea, but when it came down to it, Daniel wasn't that bad of a guy especially if Becks wasn't around to pressure him on. He was quite tolerable actually.

"Um, I do have to get with Christina to discuss that dress Jennifer Aniston wants….more like what Jen wants to know what Christina has in mind for her actually."

"Julie…" he eyed her as he crossed his arms. "You didn't answer my question."

"Uh, does playboy Daniel Meade actually deserve an answer?" she giggled playfully as she flashed him a flirty smile.

"Well, I think so," he laughed.

He knew she could be a flirt when she wanted to be, but now he had to figure out a way for her to stay comfortable enough to stay flirty without making her feel the need to be all frigid and cold toward him.

Julie drew in a breath as she studied the expression on his face. It reminded her of the look on his face when the two of them talked without Becks the night before, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. What was the infamous Daniel Meade thinking about when it came to her? He had a small smile and his eyes were looking at her with this intense look that she couldn't decode the meaning behind.

She wet her lips before she spoke. "You said there would be no Becks tonight, right?"

"Yes, no Becks…not tonight."

"A girl does have to eat from time to time, so I guess you win. We'll get together tonight. I'll leave the directions to my place with Betty before I leave _Mode_,' she grinned.

"Great, I'll see you tonight. Pick you up at 8?"

"Works for me, Daniel."

Julie got up from her chair and began to gather her things. Daniel got up from behind his desk once she began to zip up her briefcase. She had her purse and briefcase in hand as she had her coat draped over her arm. He came up beside her as he guided her to the door. Daniel opened the door for her and the two of them immerged from his office.

"Thanks for your help, Julie."

"Oh, it's not a problem. Just hold up your end of the bargain, and I'll work on mine."

The two of them noticed Betty at her desk as she watched the two of them. She had a smile on her face in true Betty-fashion as she observed the smile on Daniel's face and the way Julie was looking at him.

"Bargain?" Betty asked as she got up from behind her desk.

"Uh, yeah, Betty, Julie and I thought it would be a good idea if _Mode_ put out two issues for this month instead of just the typical one," Daniel explained.

She shot her boss a curious look.

"What he is trying to say is _Mode_ will have two different cover stories, but it will be the same magazine," Julie chuckled softly to give a better explanation of what Daniel was trying to say. "I have to work on getting all of the stars we talked about for the covers, but Daniel has to get the okay from Wilhelmina and Bradford of course."

"Do you really think things will work out?" Betty asked.

"I don't see why it wouldn't. I think it would be something my father wouldn't expect from me and how could it fail since we have Miss Madison helping us out?"

"Well, alrighty then, do you want me to call Wilhelmina to set up a meeting?"

"Yes, I would." Daniel nodded with a confident smile.

Daniel knew that the ideas he and Julie came up with couldn't fail and how could his father say no? It was something that Bradford probably wouldn't have expected Daniel to come up with and Alexis couldn't take credit for this one which made Daniel feel proud of himself. He felt like this couldn't be turned around to where he was the failure, not this time.

"You do have that editorial meeting on Monday, but I'll go ahead and arrange it to where you can talk to Wilhelmina today along with Alexis if that's what you want, and I'll see what I can do about your father."

"If you need me to, Daniel, I can type up those ideas and put them together in a draft for you to present on Monday. I'll e-mail it to Betty so you'll have it in time for you meeting," Julie offered. "It will be done by the end of the day."

"That'd be great," Daniel smiled.

"I am sure you guys have been planning on the Hollywood issue for weeks, right? I mean, this is like an annual issue for _Mode_, correct?"

"Of course," Betty chimed in. "We just needed to fill in the blanks."

"Ah, I see." Julie glanced down at her watch. "Well, I don't want to keep Christina waiting."

"Oh, right." Daniel said as he remembered their meeting. "Just let me know when and if you can get that meeting with Wilhelmina set up for me, Betty," he said as he turned his attention toward his assistant.

"I'll get on that," Betty said as she flashed him a smile.

"Well, before I forget, Betty, let me leave those directions Daniel wanted," Julie said.

Before Julie headed to the closet to talk to Christina, she left the directions to where she lived for Daniel. She also talked to his assistant about what they had in mind for the Hollywood issue and why she felt it was important for Daniel to get Wilhelmina and Bradford's backing for the issue. The two of them discussed how it would work out for the magazine and that Julie would be back on Monday to talk to Daniel about if she was successful when it came to getting the stars they wanted for the covers.

"Well, I think that's it, Betty," Julie sighed softly.

"Okay, so I'll see you again on Monday?" Betty asked.

"You should. What time is the editorial meeting?"

"Um, 10 a.m., I believe," Betty said as she began to skim through Daniel's schedule for that day. "Yes, 10 it is."

"Good deal, I'll try to get here before the meeting so Daniel can say who he has for the covers," Julie smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Betty."

"You too."

Julie left Betty's desk and made her way to the closet to have that meeting she had with Christina while Betty began to call around and make arrangements for that meeting Daniel wanted to have before the day's end.


	5. Taking Care of Business

**Author's Note**: _I am so sorry for the delay in the next chapter. I hope I haven't lost readers over my lack of an update, but here it is. I hope you enjoy it. This chapter gave me a little trouble in terms of writing it, but it's done now, and I hope you like it. :)_

* * *

**Chapter Five  
**_Taking Care of Business_

"You want to have two separate issues of _Mode_ for May?" the magazine's creative director, Wilhelmina Slater asked as she leaned back in her chair. She had her arms folded across her chest as she gave Daniel an unsure look with an eyebrow arched.

"You heard me, Wilhelmina," Daniel said as he was pacing in front of her desk in her office.

"Daniel, you can't be serious. You actually think you can put two issues out in a month's time? Let's be honest, I know you try to put issues together month to month, but two? Do you_ really_ think you can handle that?"

Wilhelmina was determined to punch holes in Daniel's ego, to make him feel insecure about his tendencies. There was no way in hell that Wilhelmina would give Daniel the impression that he had a good idea in mind. It was a good idea that would boost _Mode_'s sales and possibly bring new readers to the magazine, but why would she allow Daniel to believe that he actually had something that could work for the magazine? She wanted him to fail so Alexis or more than likely herself would be able to take over _Mode_ and make it into the magazine that she thought it should be.

"I don't see why I can't. I am editor-in-chief of this magazine the last time I checked, and I can't see why it would be that hard to do. There would be two separate cover stories and that's pretty much the only difference between the two," Daniel explained, knowing that his idea would be a good move for one of the more popular Meade publications.

There was no way that Wilhelmina Slater would actually admit that Daniel's idea (if he could really call it that) was definitely in the best interest of the magazine. It was an idea that she wished she could have come up with herself, but admitting to Daniel that he had a good idea would be unbearable for her to do.

"Are you sure you can even get enough celebrities who would be willing to be on the cover? I know you had that meeting with that publicist from Hollywood, but you don't have enough time to get the people needed to on _both_ covers," she reminded.

Daniel felt his insides tighten as he stopped in his tracks in front of her desk. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before he turned to face her. He observed the straight face she displayed, and he was sure that she had a smirk on the inside.

"You know, Wilhelmina, I just thought I would take the time to run this idea by you considering every time I don't, you always seem to make it a point that if something tanks, which I am sure this won't. You always feel the need to say 'well, he didn't run this by me. I had no idea' so this is where I mention my idea and you can't say I didn't share it with you," Daniel retorted his explanation.

"That may be the case this time, Daniel, but that's why I am your creative director. Your father trusts me enough to keep on eye on you when he obviously can't especially when it comes to this magazine," she said calmly as it rolled off her tongue.

Daniel let out a frustrated sigh. He had it in his mind that he would be able to tell her his idea and all she had to say was "ok" or an "if you say so" would suffice, but Wilhelmina Slater once again wanted to make this difficult for the heir to the Meade empire.

"Did I miss the memo for this meeting?" Alexis Meade asked as she entered Wilhelmina's office.

A groan escaped from Daniel's lips. "And how did you hear about this meeting?" He looked up at his sister.

"Danny, Danny, Danny, I am co-editor-in-chief of this magazine too. Mom made it quite clear how she wanted _Mode_ to be run," she replied smugly to her little brother.

"Yeah, well, I've been running_ Mode _long before you came back from the dead," the younger Meade noted. "So, I can apparently get something remotely accomplished around here whether you are willing to believe it or not."

"Thanks to your creative director," Alexis smirked as her eyes drifted toward Wilhelmina before she took a seat in front of Miss Slater's desk.

"Sure, Wilhelmina _helped_, but I do know how to put a magazine together from month to month. Just because your name wasn't on any of my issues doesn't mean that they weren't 'worthy' of being published or popular for that matter, Alex," Daniel mentioned as he leaned against Wilhelmina's desk to look down at his sister who was in her chair.

The expression on Alexis' face hardened as she glared at her brother. The two of them had always been at odds, and why should now be any different? Just because Alex was now Alexis and Daniel actually did work at the magazine besides just sleeping with the models, didn't mean that the tension between them had changed.

"You know, Daniel, I'd like to see you accomplish this without my help."

Daniel laughed. "That's what I've been doing for months."

"You don't get it, do you? I mean, little to no input from me obviously. This is a huge issue I'd like to see you handle this by yourself. You assume you can handle it and why should I doubt you?"

Daniel smiled smugly, "Well, if that means you want to take some time off to do whatever it is you do, Alexis, then more power to you."

"Now why would I do such a thing? Someone has to keep a watchful eye just in case you somehow fall on your ass." The words rolled off of Alexis' tongue without fail. It would give her another chance to see her brother fall short and once again he stuck in her shadow just like he had always been…the place where Alexis felt little Danny belonged.

"Do I really have to be here to hear the two of you bicker?" Wilhelmina asked with her typical straight face. She began to lightly drum her fingernails against the surface of her desk. "Do I _have_ to be here for this?"

"Sorry, Wili," Alexis sighed as she focused her attention on Wilhelmina instead of Daniel. "Do you think he can handle this by himself?"

"Well…" Wilhelmina began as her eyes narrowed at Daniel, "If he insists on attempting this, then maybe he deserves to at least try."

In a way, Daniel was taken back by his creative director's simple statement. He was surprised to hear her say that he deserved to at least give a try. A look of surprise crossed his features before a smug yet confident smile appeared.

"Thank you," he said smugly. "I honestly think this is a good idea for _Mode,_ and it's a step in the right direction if I do say so myself."

All Alexis could do was roll her eyes and scoff at the thought of Daniel getting what he wanted. She couldn't believe that Wilhelmina would give the one who always stood in her shadow the approval to work on something that was a good idea for the magazine. And she hadn't come up with it herself. She groaned as she could feel a headache coming on. For Alexis, this day was getting longer and she hated the thought of Daniel actually being successful at something especially this.

Daniel had a bounce in his step as he made his way of out Wilhelmina's office, leaving Alexis annoyed by the fact he was a step closer to being victorious in another round of the Meade sibling rivalry. He also didn't want to give his creative director a chance to change her mind.

--

Betty had checked her e-mail shortly before Daniel had his meeting with his father. She was impressed to see Julie's draft proposal already in her inbox. At least Julie had kept her word, and it did make it there before the day's end. Daniel's assistant had to give credit to the latest brunette in her boss's life.

"Well, Autumn...uh, Julie did come highly recommended from the people she had talked to in the New York office of RSM," Betty observed out loud as she leaned back in her chair.

She cleared her throat before she sat back up in her chair. Betty then clicked on the e-mail in her inbox. There was a short little note that Julie had written to Betty in the e-mail:

_Hey Betty,_

_Here's the proposal draft that I promised. Hopefully, it's to Daniel's liking. Let me know if I need to make any changes. If not, I'll see you on Monday. Have a good weekend._

_AJM_

Betty began to read over the proposal draft. She could tell that she really didn't need to make any changes. She was impressed that Julie had been able to get it together rather quickly considering she had left Daniel's office less than two hours ago.

The assistant to the editor-in-chief went ahead and prepared a copy of the proposal for Daniel to show Bradford during their meeting. Her eyes looked over the top rim of her glasses to see her boss sitting at his desk preparing for his last appointment for the day; his meeting with his father.

The man behind _Mode_ was in his office with his eyes closed as he tried to gather his thoughts for yet another meeting with his father. In a way, Daniel was baffled by how Wilhelmina was willing to give him the okay for two separate issues without knowing much about what the separate cover stories or any other questions and objections and Alexis in her typical Alex fashion was just as difficult as ever.

Betty lightly knocked on the door frame as she paused for a moment before she entered her boss's office. Daniel slowly opened his eyes to peek to see who it was before he waved to her that it was okay to come into his office.

"Yes, Betty?" Daniel asked as he was slumped over his office.

"Daniel, I just got Autumn…um, Julie's draft proposal for the Hollywood issue. I thought it would be a good idea if you went ahead and took a copy of it to your father so he can have a better feel about it during your meeting," Betty said as she gave her boss a wide reassuring smile. She made her way over to where Daniel was and slid a copy of proposal across his desk.

"So soon?" he said somewhat surprised considering that she was just in the office merely hours ago.

Betty nodded. "She's impressive. I've already read over it, and I must say that the Hollywood issue will be one of your best issues."

"You think so?"

Betty just gave her typical "you've got to be kidding me" look. "Daniel, you should know the answer to your question." Without missing a beat, she continued, "But if you must know, this proposal has to win everyone over including your father. I have a feeling you and Julie will make a pretty good team."

Daniel broke his focus from Betty and gulped at his assistant's compliment. If she only knew about the bet between him and his friend Becks, he was sure Betty would have a heated opinion about what was going on. He turned his attention to the proposal that Julie had written and hoped that Betty couldn't pick up on the uneasiness he felt over her comment about him and Julie.

A small sigh escaped from his lips as he finished reading over Julie's work. Her draft was well-written, and Daniel certainly didn't expect to see this arrive on his desk so soon after their meeting. She was obviously dedicated to her work and would do all she could to make sure that this issue of _Mode _would be successful. Daniel had to remind himself that Julie wasn't another Alexis in his life.

He cleared his throat before he returned his attention to his assistant. "This is good," he simply said before he got up from his chair.

"The last thing on today's agenda is your meeting with your father," Betty reminded.

Daniel drew in a deep breath and sighed with a nod. "Yep."

"Don't worry about it. The draft proposal speaks for itself, and once your father sees how serious you are about making this issue a success, there is no way he could say no."

"If you say so…"

"Daniel…," Betty trailed off as she glanced over the rim of her glasses and gave her boss a judgmental look. "You shouldn't doubt yourself and your ability especially when it comes to this. This is going to be spectacular if everything pans out. If Julie can be this thorough with the draft, just imagine how much she'll get done for _Mode_ when it comes to the stars and everything else she can do for this magazine."

He had managed to think of the reasons why Betty was right about Julie from a professional stand point. She definitely worked hard to get some of her side of the deal together, and he was impressed by that considering she was someone who had made a name for herself in the industry that she had been in for so many years. He reasoned that her tendency to be frigid from time to time was her way of survival when it came to the industry.

Daniel closed the cover of the proposal draft. He had gotten up from his desk and put on his jacket before he headed out the door for his meeting with Bradford. He had the proposal in hand ready to show his father.

"Betty, you can go ahead and go home if you'd like," he offered his assistant as the two of them made their way out of his office.

"Well, I want to know how your meeting with your father goes, so I'll stay until you get back. May's issue…well, issues of _Mode_ are going be your best." Betty gave her boss a huge, confident smile. "Your father couldn't possibly say your ideas are bad."

"You're right, Betty," Daniel said as he straightened the collar of his jacket with some newfound confidence. "I'll see you after the meeting then."

"I'll be here, waiting," she flashed him another smile before the two of them parted.

Daniel left Betty behind at her desk as he made his way to the elevators.

--

Daniel made his way up to Bradford's office. Even though, he had everything he needed for the meeting, and he was sure that Bradford couldn't say no to his ideas and the proposal for the Hollywood issues, Daniel always had these insecurities when it comes to these talks with his father.

Bradford had always felt the need to talk down to his as he had put it "failure of a Meade" son. Throughout Daniel's life, he had lived in Alex's shadow. He had always tried to give his father a reason to be proud of him, to give him the much needed praise he deserved. Now that Alexis didn't seem to exist in Bradford's mindset, Daniel saw this as a chance to prove himself, but he knew it wouldn't an easy task. Just because Alexis didn't necessarily exist to their father, she had made her presence known to her kid brother. Bradford didn't have to acknowledge that his first born was still alive, but the thought of being compared to the perfect son from their family's past lingered on Daniel's mind and made him feel uneasy about any idea he came up for _Mode_. He always felt the need to wonder if Bradford would see it as something that wasn't up to par with what Alex came up before.

The younger Meade son took in a deep breath before he went into his father's office. The proposal for the Hollywood issues were in hand as his eyes scanned the room to see where Bradford was. He noticed his father was at the table in his office where he kept the glasses and ice for his scotch.

_Another scotch lecture? _Daniel rolled his eyes quickly at the thought considering he was sure Betty made it quite sure as to why Daniel needed to see his father.

Daniel cleared his throat before he maneuvered toward Bradford.

Bradford turned to face his son with a glass of scotch on the rocks in hand. "So, what's this about the Hollywood issue? I wasn't expecting you to have something ready for me until next week."

"Well, I do, Dad. Actually, I have a draft proposal for you to look over," Daniel said, trying to sound as confident as he could even though he was a bundle of nerves because of the way this issue was so important to the magazine and his father.

"A draft proposal?" Bradford inquired somewhat surprised considering he knew his son only had a meeting with a publicist from Hollywood. He didn't fathom his son having something so concrete together so soon especially something like a proposal written.

Daniel held out the proposal for his father to take from him. Bradford's eyes glanced down at the cover. He took it with his free hand and he maneuvered toward his desk and his son followed. Daniel took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Bradford's desk.

His father took at seat in his chair behind his desk. He had taken a sip of his drink before he set it down on the desk so he could focus on the proposal Daniel had given him.

Daniel sat in silence in his father's office as Bradford read over the proposal. It was deafening. With every second that ticked away, the Meade heir felt like it was more like hours. He carefully watched the expression on his father's face, and he felt the need to hold his breath. Bradford's expression didn't soften; there were no sounds from his side of the desk, no movements or any indications about how Bradford felt about the proposal.

The younger Meade couldn't take it anymore as he watched his father closed the proposal. His eyes narrowed slightly as he impatiently waited for Bradford to say something…anything would be good at this point.

Bradford shifted his weight in his chair and leaned forward toward his desk before he looked up at his son. He tossed the proposal on top of his desk before he began to lightly pat his hands together.

"This proposal for the Hollywood issue is…well..." Bradford paused as he fixed his eyes on his son. It was as if Bradford was trying to making Daniel sweat it out. "…This is better than what I had expected."

Daniel finally exhaled as he heard his father's words. He cleared his throat to get regain his composure. He definitely felt better about the fate of this issue considering he really wasn't sure if his father would agree to have two separate issues for a single month when it came to _Mode_.

"Thank you."

"You know, Daniel, this is a step in the right direction for you as the editor-in-chief at _Mode_. The magazine doesn't put out double issues often and I see that you figured out a way to ensure that this month will be successful. My only concern at this point is who will be featured on your covers."

"Autumn Madison is working on getting _Mode_ some of the major stars from all of the trilogies that come out in May. She was rather confident that she wouldn't have any problems in doing so."

"Ah, I see," Bradford replied. "I'd like to sit in your editorial meeting on Monday if you don't mind."

"I wouldn't mind at all."

"I'd also like to meet this publicist. Autumn Madison, you said?"

Daniel nodded. "I don't see that as problem."

"Good work, son."

Daniel sat there in amazement for a few moments to let what his father had said sink in. He was sure that Bradford would agree to the way he wanted the double issue for _Mode _to be two separate issues, but to get some praise from him. Daniel knew his father's praise wasn't much, but it was the fact that Bradford had even bothered to say it is why it meant so much to him considering Daniel knew he had always been seen as a screw-up. Getting praise from his father no matter how small meant a lot to under the circumstances and with that, Daniel thanked his father before he headed back down to the 28th floor.

--

Betty sat at her desk in front of Daniel's office. She was doing some research on Autumn Julie Madison. She wanted to know more about this woman considering Daniel's assistant was hoping that this publicist wouldn't be another Sofia Reyes in her boss's life. She had been looking up information on Julie since Daniel left her for the meeting with his father. She had kept some mental notes about Julie and who she was.

Betty was impressed by the way Julie had worked her way up from the ranks as being an intern with a public relations firm in Boston before she went onto getting her MBA at Columbia University. Julie had sent the past six years in Los Angeles until she transferred back to New York.

She heard someone clear their throat from behind her and she turned around in her chair to see who it was.

"Well?" Betty asked as she noticed Daniel walking toward her desk with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Well, my father gave me his approval for the two issues as planned." He sighed contently.

"Of course he would."

All Daniel could do was nod as he knew Betty had been right about the way things would turn out. "Thank you, Betty," he simply said as he passed her to going into his office to gather the things he needed before he called it a night at _Mode_.

"Thank you?" Betty asked as she followed behind him, somewhat surprised and taken back by her boss had said considering she really hadn't expected that from Daniel, not about this.

"Yes, you heard me. Thank you for your help with the research for this issue. We put a lot of hours brainstorming ideas, and I know I don't thank you as often as I should considering what you do for me day in and day out, Betty."

His assistant sighed contently as she was taken back by his kind words. She watched him gather up his laptop among other necessities he needed over the weekend to possibly get more work done on the Hollywood issue.

"Daniel, it comes with the territory," Betty smiled, "It's just a part of my job when it comes to you. Besides, if I worked with anyone else, I don't think they would give me the opportunities you do when it comes to this magazine."

He watched her carefully with her wide smile. Daniel knew she was right considering how things were when the two of them finally were on equal playing. He appreciated the way she didn't object to staying at the office long after everyone else had gone home or the way she would give him her little pep talks that he needed from time to time. Daniel knew that Betty knew how much he appreciated her, but there were times where he felt like he has to come out and say it regardless if Betty would be willing to listen to him.

They had a respect and understanding for each other especially after all the tasks they had to get through together like Fashion Week and Alex coming back from the dead as Alexis among things they had to deal with.

Daniel gathered up the last of his things as Betty watched him intently from the doorway. He headed toward the door with his coat and briefcase in hand. The two of them made their way over to Betty's desk as she retrieved her purse and other things she had to take home with her over the weekend.

"Oh, before I forget, I reserved your usual table at your favorite restaurant for your '_business _dinner' with Julie," Betty said as she looked over at him before the two of them made it through the empty floor of _Mode_.

Everyone else had already headed home to their lives away from the office, but Daniel and Betty, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but this night was different considering he had finally felt the way an editor should with the magazine being run the way he wanted it to be regardless of what his sister thought. _Mode _felt like he was his for the first time where he didn't have to worry about what his father or Wilhelmina did for that matter and this time, Alexis couldn't do a thing about it.

Daniel chuckled to himself as Betty emphasized business considering that she was well aware of his reputation and the way he was when it came to the women in his life. "I am glad you managed considering it was short notice."

"I am not going to say it was easy, but it came together and that's all that matters," she shrugged as they walked together toward the elevator.

"Yeah, I am just trying to impress Julie considering she could be an asset to _Mode _in the long run with her know-how and connections."

"It's a good idea. She seems to be the type who is focused, and she'll work hard to get the job done."

Daniel and Betty made it to the elevator doors and Betty pressed the down button while the two of them continued to talk.

Daniel nodded as he sighed softly. "Today's been productive for a Friday."

"Yes, it has," she agreed as she pulled the strap of her purse back on her shoulder. "You've done a lot today and gotten a lot accomplished. This issue is going to amazing, Daniel. I can't wait to see how the finished product turns out." Betty said with some excitement in her voice with a huge smile on her face.

Daniel chuckled at her enthusiasm. It amused him sometimes to see the way she was when it came to the magazine. He knew she loved helping him come up with an issue from month-to-month. He also knew that his assistant deserved more credit than what she got, but it wasn't forgotten. Once the time was right, he would figure out a way to repay her for everything she had done for him.

A ding came from the elevator to indicate that it was at their floor. Daniel motioned for Betty to go ahead of him. She smiled with a nod at his gesture before she entered the elevator, and Daniel followed suit.

"So, what would you consider this evening with Julie?" Betty inquired as she stood beside her boss as the elevator began its descent to the lobby of the Meade building.

"It's a business dinner of course," Daniel said as he tried to sound convincing, but Betty knew him better than that.

She shot him a skeptical look, but didn't object to his intentions.

"She's the publicist that's working with her for the Hollywood issue. There's no harm in having dinner with her. She's just a business associate." Daniel promptly cleared his throat after he made that statement considering he knew that was a lie if he ever heard one. He glanced over at Betty, praying that she wouldn't call him out on such a statement especially since he had that bet with Becks hanging over his head.

Daniel could only imagine what Betty would say once she found about the bet and his past with Julie considering they had known each other long before they were where they were today.

The two of them stood in silence for the rest of the elevator ride. Betty would sneak a couple of glances of her boss. She wondered what that little smile on his face meant and why she had the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach about this dinner with Daniel and Julie. She scanned through her memory to figure out why she felt like this. There was something Julie said that stuck out in her mind, but she couldn't remember what it was. Betty closed her eyes and let out a long breath as she tried to focus on her weekend away from the office, away from being the assistant to the editor-in-chief at _Mode_.

Daniel heard Betty's sigh and gave her a questioning look, but didn't want to push her for an answer for the reason behind it. The elevator came to a stop and he followed her when the doors opened. They made their way through the lobby and Daniel opened the door for Betty.

"Thanks, Daniel," she smiled as she noticed that his town car was waiting for him.

"Oh, you're welcome, Betty," he grinned as he let go of the door. "Do you need me to give you a ride home? You know I don't mind."

She smiled at the suggestion, but she shook her head. "No, it's okay. I have to make a couple of stops before I get home anyway. My dad needs me to pick up some stuff for him on the way home from here."

"You sure?"

Daniel made his way over to his town car, and Betty playfully rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't worry about it," she chuckled. "I'll see you on Monday. Enjoy your 'business' dinner and have a good weekend."

Daniel nodded, "Thanks and that goes for you too."

"Okay, I think I handle that."

Daniel smiled at her before he got into his town car. He closed the door once he got settled in his seat. He watched her through the tinted glass carefully as she became another face in the crowd through the drones of people along the sideways of New York City.


	6. More than just Business?

**Author's note**: _Miss me? I am sorry so that I kept y'all waiting on this chapter. I hate having to make you guys wait so long between chapters, but it can't be helped. In all honesty, I haven't watched an episode of Ugly Betty since I watched the finale so please forgive me if I seem to lose touch with Daniel's character. Also, I apologize for the grammar errors that are in this installment. I've been working more than I've been sleeping lately. When the inspiration hit, I ran with it. When I get a chance in the next couple of days, I'll go back and fix stuff. _

* * *

**Chapter Six  
**_More than just Business?_

Daniel paced back and forth in his bedroom as he tried to figure out how he was going to handle his dinner with Julie for that evening. Now that she was more than just a bet, he was torn about how to deal with the newly complicated situation. Daniel was sure that he could win this bet before Julie strolled into the offices of _Mode_ magazine as the highly-recommended publicist Autumn Madison. It was bad enough that he knew she would be tough to deal with because of her frigid exterior, but now having to work with her for his job, this task wasn't so attainable anymore by the looks of things.

He had a "business" dinner with her, but would they actually stick to business or would they talk about more? Daniel wasn't so sure about the answer to that question, but there were times where Julie would give him these looks where he wondered what she was thinking about and why she wasn't as cold to him like she had been with Becks. He was hoping that maybe he could have some of these questions answered if the chance would come up during the course of their evening.

A heavy sigh escaped from his lips as he looked down at his watch. The time was slipping away from him as he debated on which tie to wear for his date or should he even wear a tie? He knew he had made it clear to Betty it was a business dinner, but he wondered how Julie would see it considering the circumstances. Would she wear a cocktail dress or would she stick to strictly business attire? Daniel's head began to swirl as he was putting too much thought into the situation than what he probably should.

This would be so much easier for him if there was no bet between him and Becks or if she wasn't working with him for the Hollywood issue of _Mode_, but that would be too easy for elytrous Daniel Meade. He had gotten himself into this, and he refused to give up on either side of the situation considering what he had at stack for himself. He refused to let Becks win their bet especially since Julie was an unattainable goal that was in his grasp now, and he knew that in the long run Julie could be useful at _Mode_ considering she was a publicist and she could probably get any celebrity Daniel wanted for the magazine.

He hated being stuck in this situation where he wanted everything to work out in his favor, but that seemed impossible. Maybe Daniel wasn't giving Julie enough credit, but this was Julie Madison he was thinking of. She saw through his act in college, and he knew she was the type to keep her guard up especially with their assorted past, but she did seem to have a soft spot for him, didn't she?

As time crept closer and closer to 8pm, Daniel finally decided to ditch the tie. He went with a burgundy shirt with one of his favorite black suits. Something that he would wear to the office with a touch of casual was appropriate for his evening. He ran a hand through his hair and headed out the door to his town car that was waiting for him in front of his apartment building.

The playboy passed along the directions to Julie's place to his driver shortly after he got into the car. His driver nodded and told him that it shouldn't take them that long to get to Julie's Upper West Side apartment.

_The regular side of town_, Daniel thought to himself as he noticed she wasn't living in the more luxurious part of Manhattan, but she wasn't exactly living in the slums either. It was a healthy medium that was seemingly who Julie was. He saw her as a working girl that happened to be from a well-to-do family.

The ride to her neighborhood seemed to be rather long more so than he had expected considering Daniel felt like the air in the back of the car seemed to thicken with anxiety as he could feel knots form in his stomach. His head began to spin again with questions and wonder about how this evening was going to unfold.

This was just another date with another woman, Daniel reassured himself, but he knew better than that considering this wasn't just some woman he picked up at the bar with Becks the night before. It was the one woman in his life that was held over his head as the one who got away; the one where he didn't seem to have a chance in hell with until now. She waltzed back in his life, and he had no idea how to handle her now especially with God and his twisted sense of humor when it came to the predicament Daniel was now in.

"We're here, Mr. Meade," the driver of Daniel's town car said as the car came to a stop in front of the building where Julie lived.

"Thank you," Daniel simply said as he got out of the car and looked up at the building where Julie Madison lived.

He sighed heavily as he walked up to the entrance of the building and noticed the intercom system that was outside the front doors. He cleared his throat before he pressed the button to buzz Julie's apartment.

"Yes?" Daniel heard Julie's voice through the speaker.

"Hey, Julie, it's Daniel."

"Oh, hey, Daniel, give me a couple of minutes, and I'll meet you down stairs, okay?"

"I'll be waiting," he chuckled to himself softly.

He unintentionally began to pace along the sidewalk in front of the building, hoping Julie would show up downstairs sooner rather than later. He wasn't paying attention to the entrance into the building. He just wanted her to be there.

Suddenly, Daniel heard someone clear their throat, but he was too much into his thoughts to look up.

"Um, Daniel?" Julie softly said as she walked up to him.

"Oh, Julie…hi," Daniel recovered as his eyes turned to her.

Julie looked radiant in a simple charcoal gray dress. It wasn't anything too flashy. It was a dress where a guy's eyes wouldn't wonder to all of the _typical _places. Besides, Julie didn't seem to be the type of girl who threw herself out there.

She gave Daniel a curious look, but she didn't say anything to address it. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Julie flashed him a smile before she tucked some of her loose hair behind her left ear.

"It wasn't long at all," Daniel lied. What he said wasn't really a lie, but to him, it felt like he was waiting forever for her to come down those stairs.

"Ok, good. If you haven't figured it out yet, I am not one of those fashionably late types."

Daniel just nodded as he guided her over to the town car. He held the door open for her and entered after she did.

The two of them sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Daniel cautiously watched her without saying a word, trying not to stare at her. He wished he knew what Julie was thinking. All she had done was skimmed over the car from what he could tell and then she looked out the window without looking at him which made him feel uneasy.

Julie closed her eyes briefly before she finally turned to look over at her dinner companion. "So, Daniel…" she trailed off as the two of them locked eyes with one another. There was a long pause before Julie began again, "I never thought I'd see the day where our paths would cross again."

Daniel gave her a curious look before he spoke. "Yeah, well, that makes two of us, Jules," he said in a moment of honesty.

"You know, I must confess you aren't the Daniel Meade I expected you to be."

Daniel chuckled. "And what did you expect?"

"You still being the guy who could care less about work, and you rarely would come to the office or get actual work done let alone have an assistant like Betty."

"People do change, you know."

"I know that, but with you and that infamous reputation you have to uphold, I wasn't expecting you to be such a success with _Mode_," she chuckled slightly before she gave him a reassured smile. "Just because I've been in LA for that long doesn't mean I've been out of the loop."

Daniel was somewhat taken back by Julie's words. Julie Madison not being frigid with playboy Daniel Meade? This was definitely a nice change from the way things had been the last couple of days between them.

"I figured that. It hasn't been easy when it comes to _Mode_. I had a rough start," he chuckled as he recalled the Fabia account incident and the way things were between him and Betty. He knew he had come a long way since he was first given the job as editor-in-chief of one of the most popular Meade publications.

"I can only imagine especially with Betty."

Daniel wondered what she meant by her statement. He didn't want to cause drama with questioning what she meant behind what she had said.

"Betty's been a wonderful assistant. She's been more than helpful."

"Betty seems to be the type. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders. In all honesty, I expected you to have an assistant like that receptionist…you know the blonde…with the attitude," Julie said as she tried to pick her words carefully.

"Amanda?" Daniel began to laugh. "Was she talking to a guy…Marc?"

Julie nodded as she was curious as to why Daniel was being the way he was about her observation.

"There was a time where Amanda would have been fitting for the job, but I am sure you noticed how she tends to sit around and gossip with Marc."

"Uh, yeah, I noticed that rather quickly." Julie rolled her eyes.

Daniel laughed at her response. "She was my assistant for like a week, but that's beside the point."

Julie just shook her head without saying a word.

"It's a long complicated story that's not worth going into, but all that matters is that it didn't last."

"Oh…Thank God for that," she chuckled.

The majority of their ride to the restaurant Daniel had chosen was more so enjoyable than he had expected especially with their awkward start. He and Julie had somehow managed to hit it off and he was thankful for that considering what was at stake from all sides of the situation.

The town car came to a stop in front of a popular Italian restaurant which was one of Daniel's favorite places to eat on this side of town.

"Here we are. Have a good evening, Mr. Meade," his driver said.

"Thank you, James," Daniel said as he opened the door and stepped outside into the New York night with Julie behind him.

Once Julie had gotten out of the car, she noticed where he decided to take her. She was expected it to some fancy French place or one of those swanky type places, but somehow Daniel had managed to surprise her again. He had been doing that a lot lately and from what she could tell, he wasn't the man-whore she was once remembered from their college days.

Julie cleared her throat as she noticed Daniel was waiting on her with a smile on his face. She followed his lead as the two of them made it into the restaurant. They didn't have to wait that long before they were seated at Daniel's favorite table where there was a nice view of the city.

"You're a man of many surprises," Julie observed with a chuckle as she had her eyes fixed on Daniel. She tilted her head to the side as she waited to hear his response.

"What do you mean?' Daniel laughed.

"I expected some over-the-top, swanky place is all," Julie said before she picked up her menu to figure out what she wanted for dinner.

"Something told me over-the-top just isn't your thing," he mentioned casually as he began to look over the menu as well.

"Yeah, well, it didn't impress me back then, but what makes you think it doesn't now?"

Daniel shook his head as he began to chuckle. "Julie, you are a piece of work."

"Me?" she giggled. "Whatever do you mean?"

Daniel sighed with a soft chuckle. "I know better than to assume that high price restaurants will impress you considering you've probably experienced expensive dinners with celebrities along with that banquet after the Oscars among other things."

Julie grinned with a coy yet innocent look in her eyes. "Okay…so maybe you're right, but that doesn't mean a girl doesn't deserve something nice every once and a while…I'm just saying."

"True, but that's not what tonight's about," he mentioned as he wondered how she would react to what he had said considering he wasn't sure of what to think when it came to this dinner.

"I guess, you're right, Daniel." Julie cleared her throat to refocus on this evening as something that was more so about business than personal.

Before Daniel had a chance to say anything else, their waiter came by their table and asked for their drink order. Daniel had taken it upon himself to order them a bottle of his favorite wine. The two of them went ahead and placed their orders for their meals. The waiter left and shortly after, appeared with their bottle of wine. He poured each of them a glass before he left the bottle at their table.

Julie picked up her glass and gently swirled it around to look at the color before she brought it up to her nose to take in the wine's aroma. She took a sip from her glass and gave an appreciative nod toward Daniel and his taste in wine.

"Nice choice," she said between sips before she set her glass on the table.

Daniel's eyes just stared at her as he watched her with her glass. His blue eyes were fixed on her, and she had become well aware of it no matter if Daniel had or not.

"What's on your mind, Daniel?" Julie asked as she tried to bring him out of his apparent trance.

"Huh?" he asked as he cleared his throat before he took a huge gulp of wine from his glass, trying to act like he wasn't staring at her. "What are you talking about, Julie?"

Julie shook her head and laughed softly to herself as she knew better than to assume that Daniel wasn't just staring off into space for no apparent reason.

"What's going on, Daniel? You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"It's nothing. Honest…" he trailed off, hoping she wouldn't prod him for an answer.

"When there's a nothing, there's always a something," she retorted. "I know there has to be something considering you've been…I don't want to say distant considering that's not the word I am looking for, but there's been these moments where you're not here with me. What's on your mind, Daniel?"

"It's just with this issue of _Mode_. I just want to make sure that things fall into piece like we planned is all," he lied with a shrug. "My father's put me under a lot of pressure for the Hollywood issue, Julie. And I'm just worried that something's going to happen to where it all falls part."

Julie's eyes narrowed at him slightly. She could tell that there was more to it than just _Mode_ considering he had been more so nervous with her than just thinking about work.

"Daniel, if that be the case, you could have just asked me about how things are coming along. Besides, you said it yourself, this is a business dinner, remember?"

_That's true_, he thought to himself, _damn it_. Maybe she did know him a little better than what he thought she did or maybe he was pretty easy to read. He wasn't so sure what the case was, but at this moment, he hated it. He didn't want her to realize that something was bugging him. He didn't want to give himself away.

Daniel gave her the most convincing smile that he could with a nod. "Well, to put my mind at ease, how are things coming on your end of this arrangement?"

Julie wet her lips before she spoke, "Well, convincing Kirsten Dunst, Cameron Diaz, and Keira Knightley to be on a cover of your magazine wasn't that hard considering it's _Mode_; all three of them were all about it actually. I think that was the one of the easiest pitches I've ever made for someone…well, people to be on the cover of a magazine."

Daniel's eyes widened with surprise to see how busy Julie had been during the course of the day after she left his office. He gave her a small nod with a smile.

"Impressive" was all Daniel could say before he took a sip of wine from his glass.

"I am not done yet," Julie chuckled. "Let me finish."

"Oh," he nodded for her to continue.

"Now when it comes to the guys, convincing Johnny Depp to be on the cover of a fashion magazine wasn't easy. He said he needs time to think about it, but by the way things are going with our discussion, you shouldn't be too worried considering how much exposure he'll get from it. Tobey Maguire is amused to be on the cover of a magazine like _Mode_, but he graciously agreed after I talked to him along with his other people in LA. I was thinking that Mike Myers isn't in _Mode_'s best interest to be on a cover and with Eddie Murphy's recent situation with Scary Spice…Melanie Brown, I discussed that with my colleagues in LA, and we felt that George Clooney would be a better focus for this particular issue."

Daniel's mouth dropped slightly as he continued to stare at her with wide eyes. He didn't realize that she had gotten that much done after they parted ways earlier in the afternoon. Julie had managed to do more than he had expected considering they were just suppose to think of ideas. He watched her as she gave him a reassured smile before she drank from her glass.

"Well, what about you?"

"What?" Daniel asked as he was still trying to take in everything that she had told him about her side of their bargain.

"What did Wilhelmina and Bradford say?"

"Oh, Wilhelmina was apprehensive at first, but surprisingly, once Alex--Alexis showed up with her need to question my abilities, Wilhelmina said she was fine with it; and my father agreed it was a good idea. Your draft proposal is what sold him on the deal," Daniel said as he gave her a wink.

Julie smiled with a nod before her expression changed, and she gave him a perturbed look. "Alexis?"

"Dead brother back from the dead as a girl…you know, same Alex…different gender."

"Oh, right." Julie said as she remembered how she read about Alexis' debut at Fashion Week.

Before Julie could say anything else on the topic of Alexis, the waiter appeared with their meals. He set their plates in front of them and told them to enjoy their meal before he left their table.

The two of them began to eat and enjoy their meal in silence. Julie noticed that Daniel seemed to be more so toying with the pasta on his plate than eating it. She watched him carefully and wondered what was actually bugging him because she had a feeling it had to more than just the next issue of _Mode._.

Julie cleared her throat to get his attention. She tucked her hand under her chin as she leaned against the table. "Daniel, you are going to have to tell me what's on your mind," she paused as she waited for him to answer.

Daniel was more so focused on his thoughts more than what she had to say.

"Or I am going to pull every celebrity I promised you for the Hollywood issues and go to your top-competitor _Isabella_," she continued on to break the trance he seemed to be in.

"What?" Daniel questioned as his eyes finally met hers. His expression had become frazzled. "Julie, you can't. We made a deal."

The look on her face softened some as she couldn't hold back the smile she was trying to hide. "Well, don't give me a reason to," she chuckled. "You are going to tell me what's on your mind or you're going to have to stop letting it bother you, Daniel. You know you're not that much fun when you're like this."

"Uh…well…," he fumbled through the words. He knew better than to blurt out his secret to her about the bet. He knew she would pull out of the deal and be out of his life again faster than how she has appeared this time around. "You're right, Julie. When it comes down to it, I haven't been that great of a dinner companion tonight. I am sorry about that. I've just got a lot on my mind, and I haven't been fair to you."

"A moment of honesty from Daniel Meade? I never thought I'd see the day." Julie observed. "For a while there, I was beginning to think it was me." She chuckled at her little joke.

_Jules, you have no idea_, Daniel thought to himself as he chuckled lightly at her joke.

"It's the least I can do when it comes to the way I've been," he sighed as he continued to recover from the tension between them. "For the rest of the evening, I won't zone on you."

Julie smiled at him, unaware that he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She pursed her lips together. "So, I see you couldn't shake Becks after all of these years."

Daniel just laughed. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

"Um, it is if you think about it considering it's normally Becks who somehow convinces you to be the womanizer you tend to be," Julie simply stated. "You two and the competitive streaks you have. I was hoping you would have broken that habit by now."

He raised an eyebrow at her, unsure of what to think. "Where are you going with this, Julie?"

"It's just…I remember when the New York office called my office in LA about the Hollywood issue for _Mode_. I guess you could say, it intrigued me to have to work with you considering I had been wondering how you had turned out. I mean, I was surprised to hear that Bradford had turned the reigns over to you instead of someone like Wilhelmina Slater when Fey Sommers died," she explained.

"You weren't the only one who was surprised," he chuckled softly.

"I just didn't realize how successful _Mode_ would continue to be once you took over the magazine until I did some research. I know the magazine seemingly sells itself, but I must say that you turned out to be a better editor-in-chief than I had expected especially with Becks still in the picture. I would have thought you would have offended every other model that comes through your doors with Becks around."

"Becks doesn't hang around_ Mode_ all of the time, Julie." He mentioned with slight amusement. "It's not like he's my bodyguard or something like that."

"Well, I know that. Besides, I don't think he would do a good job watching over you. I mean, this is Becks we are talking about," she giggled with that flirtatious look in her eyes.

He shrugged with a laugh. "You know, you're probably right."

Julie ran her fingertips along the rim of wine glass as she debated whether or not to bring up the next topic that would interest her considering she would probably come across it at the office on Monday anyway. "So, what's this with you and Alex…Alexis? I mean, I know you two have always been at odds with one another, but aren't you two technically running_ Mode_ together now?"

"If you want to call it that," Daniel shrugged. "I mean, our mother owns_ Mode_ so it's how she wants it to be."

"But I thought Bradford owned all of the Meade Publications."

"All of them, but _Mode_ basically."

"Ah, well, that makes sense considering she wants her children to get along."

Daniel rolled his eyes at what Julie had said. "With me and Alexis, it's complicated. She's still the same Alex, and I'll always live in her shadow no matter how hard I try."

"Why do you doubt yourself, Daniel? This Hollywood issue will probably be your best with _Mode _thus far. I mean, with my help and your drive to do outdo _Mode_'s predecessor along with Alexis and proving everyone else wrong about you, you'll blow everyone out of the water. I am sure of it. Besides, if you can surprise and impress me considering I am well-aware of your past, you've come a long way since your college days." Julie flashed him a smile while she put a hand on his arm that was resting on table. She patted it gently before she let her hand linger on his arm without moving it as she continued on with their conversation.

Daniel's focus shifted from what Julie was saying once she placed her hand on his arm. He started to stare at her hand and the way she didn't seem to have the intention to move it anytime soon. He wondered what that meant considering this was just a business dinner. They had talked about _Mode_ and business for most of the evening, but when it came down to it, he could sense that the two of them were tip-toeing along the fine line between just business and talking about more than just that.

Julie's body language began to tell him something different than the endless talk about _Mode _and the Hollywood issue or whatever else the two of them brought up that wasn't where they could bring up each other or something out of being strictly business.

Daniel sat up in his chair while he placed his hand on hers. He saw the mysterious look in Julie's eyes again where she had this small smirk on her lips, and he couldn't figure out what was on her mind. It was where this twinkle in her eyes would appear seemingly out of no where and he wondered why she would give him this look from time to time.

Julie's eyes were focused on Daniel and she smiled as she noticed his hand placed on her. It was a comfortable moment between them where things just felt right. She took in a deep breath as she pressed her lips together as her eyes were fixed on him.

"You know, Daniel, I have to confess something," Julie giggled with a twinge of nervousness in her voice. She nibbled on her bottom lip before she finally gathered up to courage to break the silence between them.

Daniel took a sip from his glass before he gave her a nod of encouragement for her to say what she had to say.

"It's just I've always had a soft spot for you, Daniel," she confessed with a slight shrug as her eyes broke from his gaze and pulled her hand from his arm.

"Well, that explains a lot of things, Julie," he replied with a chuckle. The question that lingered on his mind had been answered.

She rolled her eyes at his reaction. "That's so typical of you. I try to give you a moment of honesty and this is what I get for it?"

"Come on, Jules, give me a break," he grinned. "You had me wondering for a while there."

Julie seemingly had to chuckle at Daniel as well as herself considering she had been giving him these looks where she was sure he wondered what she was thinking.

"So, sure, it worked out for me to be the one who would help you with the Hollywood issue, and I wanted to see how you turned out professionally, but I just had to know if you were still too tough to tame." She said without thinking only to realize that she could feel the warmth in her cheeks as she knew she had to be blushing.

Daniel shook his head with a laugh. "Yeah, well, it's nice to know you aren't as frigid as you seem to be."

"But I am only like that with Becks and sometimes, you, Daniel," she retorted with a smirk. "Do you honestly think I was ever that naive when it came to you two in college? Please give me more credit than that."

_Was it that obvious back then?_ Daniel asked himself as he chuckled nervously. _Is it that obvious now?_

She wasn't paying attention that tiny bit of panic on his face as she continued on. "Who knows, maybe I can prove to you that I am not a frigid bitch as long as you can prove to me that you're aren't some playboy womanizer." She flashed him a smug smile as she was hoping that he would be up for the challenge. "I mean, someone had to tell you no back in the day to prove that no every woman is going to fall at your feet."

"I guess you have a point there," Daniel conceded as he remembered how she was toward him and Becks back in their college days. "I've done some of bone-headed things in my time."

"Some?" Julie questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"Okay, a lot, but I am working on that. There's been some events in my life that have made me realize that change is a good thing, but I still need some things from my past. I wouldn't be Daniel Meade without Becks Scott," he said smugly as he leaned back in his chair.

Julie rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "I guess, I wouldn't expect anything less of you considering you still have your flaws…and Becks being your main one, but hey, he's your friend not mine. But can I ask a favor of you, hot-shot Daniel Meade?"

"Sure, try me."

"Get Becks to drop the 'Ice Princess' crap. We're not in college or high school--make that middle school anymore."

All he could do was smile as he tried to hold back a laugh behind his lips.

"I am serious, Daniel. That's childish and besides, I am not some uptight bitch. I've proven that. Remember the other night? It was fun. We all admitted that."

Daniel pressed his lips together as he watched her quietly. He could tell that she was getting a little frustrated with him. He stared into her eyes and waiting a few more seconds before he broke a smile. "There's no use getting a little hot under the collar about it," he began to chuckle. "I'll see what I can do when it comes to Becks, but you know how he is."

Julie leaned back in her chair with her arms folded, giving Daniel an angered look, but as the hard she tried, she couldn't. She sighed heavily as she tried to be mad at Daniel, but she wasn't being that successful at it. She wanted to, but it was the way Daniel was looking at her and with the way he was smiling at her, she just couldn't find it in herself to be mad at him.

For the rest of the evening, after their plates had been cleared from their table which seemed to be ages ago. The two of them continued to have endless conversation. They talked about how things had been for them along the way after college. Julie told her story about how after their days at Harvard that she had gone to Colombia University for her Master's Degree. She explained how she fell in love with New York thanks to the times where she and Daniel used to talk about it in college during some of Daniel's many failed attempts of talking to persuade her into certain "things". Looking back on how silly everything had been and the way things had turned out, it made both of them thankful for the lack of resentment between each other.

"You know, it's kinda nice to have this second time around. I honestly thought I'd never see you again, Julie," Daniel said with a sincere smile. He had let his guard down and began to actually enjoy his evening, an evening with a woman where it was more so about talk than focusing on other things. He was enjoying himself and it was a nice change from the "let's skip dinner all together and have a little fun".

"Me either, Daniel, I mean, I knew you had to eventually prove yourself as being someone who could do more than sleep with basically every woman on the Upper East Side," she chuckled softly.

"Well, I think I accomplished that already," he said with a chuckle.

Julie's eyes narrowed and she shot him an evil look.

"Okay, not really," he said to reassure her, "It gets old after a while. Besides, I have to focus my attention on someone who I just happen to be having dinner with tonight."

"Nice save," Julie mentioned as she stared at him, trying not to change her expression. Instead of looking at him, she glanced down at the table and noticed Daniel's watch. "Oh, wow, we've been here that long?"

"What?" He asked as he glanced down at his watch. "It can't be that late….Okay, maybe it is."

All Julie could do was laugh. "You know, Daniel, why don't I go to the restroom and you take care of the check? And then we can get out of here."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"Good deal. I'll be back shortly," Julie said as she grabbed her purse before she got up from her chair.

Daniel gave her a nod with a smile as he watched her as she headed toward the restroom before he flagged over a waiter to take care of their check.

He could feel himself smile as he looked back on their evening. He couldn't believe that they had been at the restaurant for over four hours and talking about anything and everything they could think of. It was nice to have a dinner companion who understood how extensive his job was instead of trying to explain the little things like he had tried many times before with some of the air-headed women he had slept with before.

Julie headed back toward their table and Daniel rose from his chair. He buttoned his jacket and came around to her.

"Well, I took care of everything. You ready to go?" He asked as he put his hand on the small of her back.

"Sure," Julie smiled as she looked up at him.

The two of them headed out of the restaurant to Daniel's waiting town car. He had opened the door for her and once she had gotten in, he hoped in and closed the door behind them.

"Tonight's been nice, Daniel," Julie smiled as she turned to look over at him in the back of the town car. "I've enjoyed this evening with you. It's been nice to see a side to Daniel Meade that wasn't expecting from you."

Julie sighed contently as she stared into Daniel's blue eyes. She pressed her lips together as she slowly let out a deep breath.

"Tonight was wonderful, Jules," he sighed softly. "You know, this could be a good start to something amazing."

Julie had to giggle to herself. "You really think so? I mean, we're supposed to be working together. I never expected for us to have this connection. And I typically don't like to mix business with pleasure. I am not like you or the way you used to be or however you want to look at it."

Daniel chuckled at what she had said. She did have a point.

Their car ride back to her place was surreal considering how their evening had turned out. Daniel had managed to have dinner with a woman where he had to be himself instead of using cheesy pick-up lines and throwing his name around to get any woman to give in to what he wanted. He had done that so many times before, but he could see himself actually getting used to dinners like this.

Julie caught Daniel looking at her while she looked out the window at the lights of the city. She had asked him what he was doing and all he could do was smile at her. The silence between them now was somehow comforting considering the two of them had gotten along and there seemingly was no tense between them.

The car had come to a stop in front of Julie's apartment building. The two of them got out of the car and Julie began to fumble through her purse to find her keys.

Julie bit down on her lips as she looked up at Daniel. "I don't know if I've told you this enough tonight, but thank you for the dinner."

"Oh, you're welcome. It's the least I could do."

"Also, Daniel, thank you for proving me wrong when it comes to the impression I had of you before today."

Daniel chuckled as his hands were tucked in his pockets. "I had fun tonight, Jules."

"I did too."

"Let me walk up to your apartment."

"Okay, I'd like that," she grinned as she used her key to get into the apartment building.

She opened the door and two of them made their way through the small lobby area to the elevators. Julie pressed the up arrow button as she and Daniel waited for an elevator to make its way to the lobby.

Daniel glanced down at Julie's hand before he took it into own. He could tell that he had taken her by surprise. Before he knew it, she had intertwined her fingers with his before she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

The elevator doors opened shortly after and they stepped through the doors together. Julie has pressed the button for the 8th floor with her free hand. Their ride to her floor was in silence but like the car ride over, it had been nice. The two of them would exchange glances with one another until finally both of them began to laugh.

It had only taken a night, but there was something about the dynamic of Daniel and Julie's relationship that had changed and surprisingly, the seemingly former playboy was comfortable with that.

"Well, here we are," Julie announced as she guided Daniel to her apartment. The numbers 806 was engraved on the plate on the door.

Daniel took in a deep breath. "Tonight's been wonderful."

"It's been amazing. You're a man of many surprises, Daniel Meade." She grinned as she looked into his eyes.

Daniel leaned in to close the gap between them. His lips pressed against hers as he engulfed her in a kiss. Julie pulled back from the kiss with a look of surprise.

"Daniel…"

Before she even had a chance to finish her thought, she went ahead and pulled him in for another kiss. This time it was longer, and Daniel didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her.

Once again, their lips parted again and Julie's eyes fluttered open as she looked up at him.

"Wow."

Daniel softly laughed at her as he held her in his arms. He kissed her on the forehead before he let her go.

"Uh, well, I guess, we're calling it a night?" he asked.

"Yep," she giggled. "I've had a marvelous time tonight, but I don't want to rush this. I mean, you've been wonderful, but I don't want this to turn into something that it's not meant to be. I see tonight as being something that could be awesome if we approach this the right way."

"I guess, you're right, Julie."

"Of course, besides, don't think I didn't know about that silly bet you and Becks had in college. You're going to have to prove to me that this is going to turn into something more than that."

_Oh shit,_ Daniel thought to himself. _Does she know about the bet? How could she_? Daniel suddenly began to panic on the inside as he was sure she had seen through his cover.

"I mean, I know the Daniel Meade you've shown me tonight wouldn't do that. I just want to do this right," Julie said as she flashed him a huge smile.

He silently breathed a sigh of relief as he tried to regain his composure, hoping that his outsides weren't as obvious to what he was thinking unless the way he felt on the inside.

Somehow Julie had figured it out, but there was no way Daniel was going to tell her that. Their evening had been pleasant and there was no way he was going to lose her now especially after he had just proven himself to her as being a better person than the guy who made that bet with Becks.

The two of them shared another quick kiss before Julie had headed into her apartment and Daniel was on his way back down to the lobby. Once again, Daniel had all of these thoughts looming in his mind.

_What the hell am I going to do now?_


	7. Encounters of Many Kinds

**Author's Note: **_I apologize for the wait between chapters. There were times during the course of writing this chapter that I was tempted to scrap it and start over, but after taking several mini breaks, I believe that I am happy with how this chapter turned out. Hopefully the wait for the next chapter won't be as long considering I've already started to write chapter 8 and things are coming together now. Now on to chapter 7, hopefully it won't disappoint anyone. :)_

* * *

**Chapter Seven  
**_Encounters of Many Kind_

"So, you had dinner with her over the weekend?" Becks asked through the phone as Daniel was talking to his friend as he entered the Meade building.

"Yeah, it was nice. Like I said before, she's not like every other woman you've seduced," Daniel reminded.

"Whatever, man. Have you landed her yet?"

Daniel could feel a lump form in his throat. He cleared it before he spoke. "Not yet, but I'm working on it."

"Like I said, she sees us as two of a kind, my friend."

"If you say so, but I see things starting to go in my favor," Daniel smirked as he walked up the elevators in the lobby. He pressed the up button and waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive. After a few seconds had passed, he began to repeatedly press the button in hopes of the elevator to arrive faster without much luck.

The editor-in-chief of _Mode _had arrived at work fifteen minutes early on a typical dull Monday morning, but today was different considering Julie would once again work into the offices of his magazine. Daniel wondered how she would act toward him considering they really hadn't talked after their date.

"Yeah, right…you wish," Becks scoffed.

"Hey, Becks, since I just got here at work, I am about to get in the elevator, and it's going to kill my signal. Let me call you back later."

"Later…loser," Becks said with a laugh before he hung up on Daniel.

The elevator arrived just in time as Daniel closed his phone and shoved it into coat pocket as he made his way into the waiting elevator. Letting out a heavy sigh, the boss of_ Mode_ pressed the button for the 28th floor upon entering the elevator. He leaned back against the wall of the elevator as it began to ascend upward toward his floor.

How would things be with Julie? He wondered as he remembered how she had mentioned that mixing business and pleasure wasn't usually how she liked to do things, but with the way their evening ended, how could she not at least acknowledge it in some way?

Before he knew it, the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened and Daniel had to take his usual walk from the elevator to his office. He noticed Amanda was at her desk filing her nails being the typical Amanda he had grown used to.

The editor-in-chief walked through the hallway before he got to his office where he noticed his assistant was at her desk with stacks of paper, a hole-puncher, and whatever else that made Betty's desk look like a mess.

"Betty, what are you doing?" he asked quietly as he approached her desk.

"Oh, Daniel! I wasn't expecting you to be here early. Well, I am just putting together copies of Julie's draft proposal for your editorial meeting--What are you doing here early?" Betty asked as she realized that her boss wasn't due at work at least another fifteen minutes.

"With the importance of this issue, I just needed to get here to ensure that everything's perfect for the meeting."

Betty eyed him suspiciously before she went back to sorting and stacking copies of Julie's draft proposal for Daniel's editorial meeting. "If you say so…"

"What? This is huge considering my father has decided to sit in for this meeting, and he wants size up Julie for himself."

"Well, I guess that works considering this issue is just as huge as the first issue you put out once you took over _Mode_," Betty reasoned as she began to the reports into their own cover.

"Once you get a chance, could you get me my bagel and coffee, Betty?" He flashed a smile before he went into his office.

"Sure, Daniel, I'll get right on that."

Betty put the finishing touches on the last copy that was needed for the editorial meeting before she got up to get her boss' usual bagel and coffee.

--

Julie sighed as she walked through the doors of the Meade Publications building. With her purse and briefcase in tote, she walked over to the elevators in the lobby. There was a small crowd of people getting into one of the elevators, and Julie tried to get to it before the doors closed, but she was too late.

She rolled her eyes with a look of annoyance on her face. This was not how she wanted her morning to begin considering she had that important meeting on the_ Mode_ floor at ten o'clock. She wanted to get there earlier so she could give Daniel the finalized list of celebrities for the Hollywood issue.

Julie started to lean over to press the up button between the two sets of elevators doors, but before she could, another woman went ahead and did it for her.

"Thanks," Julie said as she glanced over to see another woman with dark hair.

"Oh, it's not a problem. Your hands were full, and I thought I'd help you out."

"Yeah, of course I would miss the elevator on the morning where I had to get to where I need to be."

"It happens to the best of us," the woman empathized.

Julie laughed lightly with a small sigh as she impatiently waited to for one of the elevators to make it back down to the lobby.

"I need to get to an editorial meeting on the 28th floor," Julie shared as she pulled her purse back up on her shoulder.

"_Mode_?" the woman questioned as she gave Julie an inquiring look.

Julie chuckled, "Yeah, I am helping them with their next issue."

"You mean, Daniel Meade," the woman corrected.

"Uh, yeah," Julie said as she noticed the woman she was talking to had a Hispanic accent especially with the way Meade rolled off her tongue.

"Ah, the infamous Daniel Meade…"

Julie eyed her suspiciously, but kept her mouth shut about the way the other woman made the comment about Daniel.

"I hope you know what you're getting into when it comes to Daniel. I wouldn't let my guard down if I were you considering he'll only break your heart. He's done it so many times before, and it wouldn't surprise me if he does that to you too."

"And who said anything about me having a relationship with Daniel Meade?" Julie asked with a curious look.

"I highly doubt you'll be able to just walk into his office without Daniel using his enticing charm. He's so see-through…so predictable."

Julie's eyes narrowed as she thought of something to say. "I am pretty sure I can take care of myself. I've dealt with many a man like Daniel Meade before in my past, and I've managed to hold my own so far," Julie retorted with forceful tone.

"If you say so…" the anonymous woman replied before a silence fell between them. She pondered about how she wanted to approach what she wanted to say to Julie. "It's their Hollywood issue, right?"

"Um, yeah," Julie said with a twinge of uneasiness. "Why do you want to know?"

The elevator had arrived and the doors opened as Julie and this other woman made it into the waiting elevator. Julie leaned over to press the button for the 28th floor before she moved out of the woman's way so she could press the button that she needed. Julie noticed that the woman had pressed the button for the 27th floor.

"Oh, it's just I am the editor-in-chief of another one of the Meade Publications. My name is Sofia Reyes and my magazine is _MYW_…Modern Young Woman."

"Oh," Julie said before she cleared her throat.

"I can only assume you're that high-profile publicist I've heard about."

"If that's what you want to think," Julie shrugged. "It's what I do."

"Well, I've actually been thinking about doing an issue where it focuses on women behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. I've heard you're one of the most sought out publicists in the industry. I am surprised _Mode_ managed to get you to help with their magazine," Sofia mentioned before she took a sip from her coffee cup.

"Things just fell into place," Julie mentioned.

"Your name is Autumn Madison, correct?" Sofia asked. "I would love to schedule a meeting and talk about how you would be featured in my magazine."

"Well, Sofia," Julie began, "I'll be busy with _Mode_ for pretty much the next week or so. I've never heard of your magazine…._MYW,_ was it? Why don't you send some of your previous issues to my office for me to look over and if I am interested, we'll work out a time for to have a meeting about me being in your magazine."

"I think you'd be perfect for my next issue of _MYW_. I am sure people would love to read about how things are behind-the-scenes in Hollywood."

Julie chuckled nervously considering she wasn't expecting someone to be so head-strong about her being featured in a magazine. She had always preferred being behind the scenes.

"I don't know about that. I've got a lot going on right now, but I'll take everything into consideration. Please feel free to send me some past issues of your magazine, and I'll get back to you. I am sure we'll run into each other again," Julie offered, hoping Sofia wouldn't continue to push her into saying yes about this without putting much thought into it.

Julie's eyes glanced up to see that the elevator was a couple of floors away from the 27th floor, and she softly sighed to herself as she knew Sofia would be gone, and she would be able to focus on the editorial meeting she had to be a part of with Daniel.

"Okay, you do that, Autumn; I'll have some issues forwarded to you within the next couple of days."

"Works for me," Julie smiled as the elevator came to a stop on the 27th floor. "Nice meeting you."

"Same here," Sofia said before she exited the elevator. She flashed Julie a smile over her shoulder before the elevator doors closed.

Shortly after her encounter with Sofia Reyes, the elevator doors opened to the 28th floor and Julie let out a huge sigh of relief. Today, Julie decided to totally bypass the receptionist's desk. Julie had enough of Amanda and her attitude to last her for a while and with the importance of this meeting on her shoulders, there was no way she could put up with Amanda rolling her eyes at Julie with that look of disgust.

Julie walked down the hall toward Daniel's office. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Betty sitting at her desk.

"Good Morning, Betty," Julie grinned as she paused beside her desk outside of Daniel's office.

She noticed Betty had just finished up with straightening her desk. There was a stack of her draft proposal by Betty's keyboard.

"Oh, good morning, Autumn…Julie," Betty said, unsure of which one to address Julie by.

Julie laughed lightly, "Julie's fine, Betty. My friends and family still call me Julie."

"Okay," Betty grinned.

Julie's eyes looked up through the window between Betty's desk and Daniel's office. She noticed Daniel was pacing back and forth in front of his desk and all she could do was chuckle softly.

"Is Daniel nervous about today?" Julie asked as she returned her attention to his assistant.

Betty looked up to see what Daniel was doing and sighed. "Yeah, I am sure. He's made a huge deal about this issue and all. He's had a lot on his mind lately."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Julie noted before she cleared her throat. "Well, let me try to put his mind at ease. I got everyone Daniel wanted for the two covers without much objection so it should be smooth sailing between now and the time the issues come out."

"That's great!" Betty beamed with one of her full smiles. "If that be the case, I'll go ahead and set up the conference room for the meeting. If you two need me, just let me know."

"Okay, thanks, Betty," Julie nodded before she walked up to the door frame of Daniel's office. She drew in a deep breath before she knocked lightly before she entered.

"Yes, Betty?" Daniel answered out of habit as his eyes looked up at Julie. A smile came across his face. "You're not Betty."

"The last time I checked…no," Julie smiled as she walked into his office. She placed her purse and briefcase in one of the white chairs close to where Daniel was.

"Hey Julie," Daniel smiled as he went over to where she was.

"Good morning, Daniel," she grinned as her eyes met his.

The two of them stood there in silence before he brushed past her to close the door behind her. She turned to see what he was doing.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she watched him carefully.

Daniel had a devious look in his eyes. He approached her slowly and the two of them stood together closely. He debated whether or not he should just kiss her, but he looked down at her before he did anything. Their eyes were locked on each other, and Daniel noticed Julie drew in a deep breath.

She pursed her lips together as her eyes were fixed on his. "You know, I don't want to rush this," she reminded. "Today's not about us, Daniel. We've got that meeting in thirty minutes and we need to focus on that..."

"I know that," he reassured her.

"Then why did you close the door behind me?" she asked softly.

"Because I wanted to have a moment with you before this day gets crazy, and we won't be able to talk without being watched," he offered as he reached down to take her hand into his.

Julie smiled at the gesture. "You were always a charmer…"

All Daniel could do was chuckle softly at her remark. "Yeah, but I wasn't always effective when it came to you."

"And that's where the frigid bitch act used to come into play, Mr. Meade," she said with a giggle.

"I guess, you do have a point there," Daniel laughed as he brushed his fingertips along the back of her hand before he brought it up to his lips, and he kissed her hand softly.

Julie smiled as she watched him. She wasn't expecting him to agree to take their relationship at a snail's pace, but she appreciated the fact that he was open and willing to do things the way she wanted.

"You know, Daniel, once this issue goes to press, I probably won't feel that bad about letting people know about our relationship. It's just this issue is going to be huge, and I know you've probably tried to ditch the 'sleep with every other woman' label people expect from you. I mean, you're trying to stay away from that, and I don't want to be the latest notch in your headboard," Julie explained as she began to say more than what she needed.

"Shh…," Daniel gestured softly. "It's okay. I know why you don't want to rush this. It's actually rather nice to go about a relationship the right way as oppose to rushing into it and screwing everything up."

Julie smiled with a nod. She was somewhat surprised by Daniel's understanding. "Let's get through this meeting today. I am sure Bradford wants to meet me for himself considering this issue is essential to _Mode_."

Hearing Bradford's name brought Daniel to what he needed to focus on for the day…the editorial meeting for the Hollywood issue. "Yeah, he does," he agreed with a weak smile.

"Daniel, don't worry about me. I've heard Bradford can be a shark, but as long as you and I can keep it _professional_ in his presence for the time being, he won't feel the need to question me or my abilities. I mean, I could hold my own long before you came back into my life," Julie mentioned confidently. "I won't give you those flirtatious looks across the table as long as you don't either, okay?" She said as she tried to maintain a serious look before she began to giggle.

"As long as you can control the giggles, we should be okay," Daniel smiled before he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Sorry, I needed a kiss to get me through the day. It's either I kiss you or I stare at your lips all day and we don't need that," he chuckled.

"Okay…you're so silly sometimes," she said as she playfully rolled her eyes at him. "By the way, Betty said that she would be in the conference room setting up for the meeting if you needed her."

Daniel nodded and sighed before he finally went over to his desk. "So, is there anything we need to go over before this meeting?"

"Yeah," Julie said as she tucked some of her loose hair behind her right ear. "I got everyone I promised you and you should be able to get one of the magazine photo shoots done by the end of the week. Let me know if you want to use one of the photographers I know in LA or if you want to use one of your own."

"This is going to be one of the easiest issues I've put together considering I was completely lost a week ago," Daniel smiled as he glanced down at the copy of her draft proposal on his desk.

"Yeah, I was busy all weekend after our dinner getting things together for this issue, Daniel. Eventually, I am going to have to find time to hire my own secretary for my office or I might as well use yours at the rate things are going."

"You know, I wouldn't mind that, right?" he said with a wink.

"I don't think Betty would appreciate that. I mean, I am sure you keep her busy, but I wouldn't feel right if she had to take on being my secretary too. I am sure you _aren't _paying her enough for that."

"Out of all of the assistants I've had, Betty's the best."

"Assistants?" Julie asked with an arched eyebrow. "You haven't been editor-in-chief for a year yet..." She stopped herself before she had a chance to get out what she wanted to say. "You know what? Never mind, I don't even want to know."

"Let's not and say we did," he offered with a nod.

"So, I assume you've gone over my draft proposal and made your notes on it."

"Yeah, I didn't need to do much work on it," he praised. "I--We shouldn't have any problems with the pitch."

"Okay, good. I have a feeling the pressure is going to be on me more than you," she sighed as she looked down at Daniel's desk.

"Jules, you'll be fine. You've done more than your fair share to get everything that I needed for this issue especially since you got everything done so quickly. Why don't we go out tonight to unwind, okay?"

She smiled at him with a nod as a knock came from his door.

"Come in," Daniel called out as he ran a hand down his tie.

"Daniel…" Bradford said as he opened the door and saw his son with the woman he could only assume was the publicist from Hollywood. "Oh, I am sorry; I didn't realize you two were in a meeting."

"Oh, we were just finishing up, Mr. Meade," Julie said as she turned to look over at the president of Meade Publications.

"Ah, Ms. Madison, I assume," Bradford mentioned as he made his way over to where Julie was standing.

"Yes, Dad, this is Autumn Madison," Daniel said as he watched his father carefully.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Meade," Julie said with a confident smile. "Your son, Daniel here is pretty impressive as an editor-in-chief." She mentioned with a smile as she looked over at Daniel briefly before she focused her attention back on Bradford.

"Well, Daniel working on his editorial skills so he can someday take over the reigns of Meade Publications," Bradford stated as his eyes were fixed on Daniel with their typical cold expression.

After hearing what his father had to say, Daniel was surprised to hear his father mention the possibility of him moving up in the company to anyone, especially someone who wasn't involved with any of the Meade Publications.

Julie just smiled with a nod as her eyes glanced over at Daniel.

"I am trying to anyway," Daniel chuckled softly, not allowing any awkwardness thicken between the three of them.

"I've seen your proposal, Autumn, if I can call you that, and I must say that it's pretty remarkable considering you just walked into _Mode_ last Friday. As I told Daniel during our meeting that afternoon, I was concerned about if you were able to get all of the celebrities to agree to be on the two separate covers of this magazine."

"Autumn's fine, Mr. Meade. I was just telling Daniel that I've gotten confirmations from each celebrity mentioned in the draft proposal," Julie said as she drew in a deep breath. "Also, by the way things are going, the magazine should have one of the photo shoots done by the end of the week. Daniel and I were just discussing whether or not to use a photographer from LA or a photographer that typically covers photo shoots for _Mode_."

Bradford looked at her without changing his expression before he turned his attention to his son. "You know, Daniel, Autumn is definitely one of, if not the most productive publicist _Mode _has ever worked with and I suggest you do all you can to ensure that she's continues to be a part of Meade Publications."

'Of course, Dad, I don't intend on letting her slip through our hands. Like I've told you before, she'll be an asset to our company, and it would be stupid on my part not to keep her around," Daniel stated as he kept his eyes fixed on Bradford before he cleared his throat.

Bradford gave his son an approving nod. "Once this meeting is over, I am hoping it wouldn't be an imposition if Daniel and I took you out for lunch today," Bradford offered, "If your schedule would allow it."

"I wouldn't mind at all," Julie said calmly as she looked over toward her briefcase, trying to make it look like she wasn't trying to look at Daniel. "I don't any more appointments until later this afternoon."

"Then I insist you come with us," the elder Meade concluded as he looked down at his watch. "Why don't I go ahead and head over to the conference room and we'll talk more after the meeting?"

Julie smiled. "Sure, Mr. Meade."

There were a few moments of silence as Bradford left Daniel's office, leaving Julie and Daniel alone together once again. Julie closed her eyes briefly before she sighed softly. When she opened her eyes, she noticed Daniel was watching her with a small smile across his lips.

Daniel watched her carefully, and he was surprised by the openness his father showed toward her. He wasn't expecting for Bradford to warm up to her considering she and Daniel technically didn't know each other or at least that's what Bradford thought.

"I guess it's show time," Julie said as she broke the silence that lingered between the two of them.

Daniel gave her a reassured nod before he went over to his desk chair. He rolled down his sleeves and slipped on his jacket. He buttoned his jacket and straightened his tie as he waited on Julie to gather everything together that she needed for their meeting.

Julie pulled out her copy of the draft proposal as well as some other needed material for the editorial meeting with the majority of the staff for_ Mode _magazine. With everything cradled in her left arm, she walked over to Daniel who was waiting in the wing of his office. She flashed him a smile before she passed by him out the door.

The two of them walked together toward the conference room where Betty patiently waited for her boss to arrive. Julie motioned for Daniel to go ahead so she could have a moment to herself.

Julie's eyes scanned the conference room as she noticed several of _Mode_'s editors as well as Bradford Meade waiting for the meeting to begin. She noticed a tall blonde sitting close to where Daniel stood and Julie could only assume that she was Alexis. Julie took in a deep breath and cleared her throat before she walked into the ring of what she felt was the lion's den.

The Hollywood publicist made her way to the empty chair by Daniel. She glanced up at the clock on the wall before she placed her stack of papers on the table. Daniel turned to look at her with a small, but brief smile as he scanned the room. She could tell that he was waiting on someone.

_Wilhelmina Slater_, she thought to herself,_ figures_.

Minutes later, Wilhelmina finally waltzed into the conference room with its large circular table and Marc was following close behind. _Mode_'s creative director took her usual seat across the table from Daniel and Alexis.

Once everyone had gotten settled into their seats, the meeting began. Daniel stood at the head of the table as he began to explain the purpose for their assembly. "Now that's we're all here, I'd like to go ahead and start this editorial meeting for the Hollywood issue of _Mode_. With the help of a high-profile publicist, Autumn Madison, she and I have come up with a concept that involves incorporating several movies that are going to be huge summer blockbusters in two separate issues for the month of May."

Everyone started to buzz at the thought of _Mode_ having two issues for a single month. Daniel paused before he continued on, "Now I know it seems like it's going to be a hand-full considering the amount of celebrities that we'll be dealing with in the upcoming weeks, but each of you have a copy of a draft proposal that Miss Madison has put together in order to have a better idea of how things will work out for having two different covers for this single issue of the magazine."

"Um, Daniel, I hate to interrupt, but I was wondering if you've actually gotten each of your proposed celebrities to agree to being on the cover for _Mode_," Wilhelmina spoke up as she gave him a typical yet skeptical look with her arms folded across her chest.

"Well, Ms. Slater," Julie said without waiting for Daniel to reply, "as I was telling Daniel this morning upon my arrival, every celebrity mentioned in the proposal has agreed to be featured in _Mode_."

"But you only showed up here on Friday, you couldn't have possibly made that happen," Wilhelmina said with light laughter.

"Wilhelmina, Miss Madison's been feverishly getting things together for _Mode_ since she left from here on Friday. You do have to remember that she is one of the top publicists from Hollywood," Daniel chimed in while Julie was about to speak.

"Danny, that's seemingly impossible to get Tobey McGuire, George Clooney, _**and**_Johnny Depp to agree to be featured in a fashion magazine over the course of a weekend," Alexis retorted. "It's one thing to get all of the women to agree considering this is _Mode_, but how in the world did she manage to get Johnny Depp to say yes?"

Julie glanced around the table as she noticed the look that Bradford was giving Alexis while she was talking. She was somewhat intrigued to see that the president of Meade Publications would be giving such a look of disgust and coldness to his own flesh and blood.

Also, the look Alexis was giving her brother was one of annoyance where she seemingly couldn't believe that her brother was capable of getting anything together for such a huge spread of this particular magazine. Julie's focus shifted to Wilhelmina in her typical white jacket and skirt ensemble with that look of uncertainty plastered across her face made Julie feel uneasy about working with her all together.

"You know, it wasn't easy considering this is a fashion magazine, but with some tactful planning and talking to him in a strategic manner, I was able to convince Johnny…Mr. Depp that being in _Mode_ wouldn't be a bad career move on his part considering the number of readers this magazine has per month was worth his while," Julie noted as she tried to make up her mind which person to focus her attention on, Wilhelmina or Alexis.

"But what counts is that she got it done and in a timely manner where we aren't forced to scramble to find someone else to fit into the concept of what we want for this issue," Daniel reminded in a slightly defensive tone when it came to what Julie had managed to put together for him and _Mode_.

"Oh…" was all Wilhelmina could say considering Julie was more impressive than what she would admit to out loud.

Alexis kept her mouth closed with her arms crossed as she observed the way Julie had presented herself. She noticed this publicist wasn't some typical air-head with great legs, but a woman who actually could get her job done; no wonder she was highly-recommended and well worth having her at _Mode_'s disposal when needed. Her eyes were fixed on Julie and now she began to wonder how she could somehow convince her that it was best to work with her instead of her brother, but how was she going to do that?

The rest of the editorial meeting ran smoothly. Daniel proved that he could handle everything with this issue and things were coming together better than expected. He had managed to silent his toughest critics during the meeting and above all else, he could have sworn his father had given him a smile toward the end of the meeting. Daniel finished up his meeting by telling everyone that there was a lot to be done and they should get busy as soon as possible.

Once everyone began to file out of the conference room, Daniel eyed Wilhelmina as she passed by him. He noticed the way she rolled her eyes in annoyance once the meeting was over.

"The meeting went well," Betty said as she walked up behind Daniel. She gave him a huge smile, and Daniel returned the gesture.

"Yeah, it did," Daniel spoke up as he noticed Alexis was talking to Julie.

"This issue isn't so tough now," his assistant mentioned with a notepad in hand with notes she had jotted down during their meeting.

"Well, when things are pretty much mapped out from the start, how can things go wrong, right?"

"Exactly," Betty grinned.

"Okay, Betty, I know this is last minute, but could you try to get a reservation for three at my father's favorite restaurant? He's insisted that we take Julie to lunch today."

"I'll get right on it," she said with a nod before she hurried out of the conference room to get back to her desk.

Daniel walked over to where his sister and the new woman in his life were talking. He silently observed what the two of them were talking about and eavesdropped on their conversation. He felt best that he would save Julie from the trouble of listening to Alexis talk about whatever it was she had to say to make Daniel sound like an idiot.

"I know, Daniel managed to convince you that he's the editor-in-chief of this magazine, but in actuality, we both run this magazine," Alexis said smugly. "My brother has this idea in his mind that he's somehow this wonderful editor, but when it comes down to it, if it wasn't for Wilhelmina, he'd be lost before I showed up."

"And pretending to be dead for two years assuming that you could just leave everything behind without warning is suppose to be considered 'professional'," Daniel interjected as he walked up beside Julie.

He flashed his sister a smug look before he turned to Julie with a smile. Alexis only again rolled her eyes before she walked away from the two in the room she was fed up with for the time being.

"You handled Wilhelmina and my sister nicely," Daniel commended. "I can only assume they thought you were just some air-head from Hollywood who only thought you knew what you were doing."

"Just like you I suppose," Julie smirked, holding back a giggle. "I mean, I can hold my own. I've proven that with all of the people I've worked with."

The two of them were free from listening ears once they exited out of the conference room and made their way back to Daniel's office. They were making small talk as they approached Betty's desk.

"Daniel, a table is already arranged for you at the restaurant your father wants," Betty smiled with a nod. "The reservation is at noon, and I've already called your father's office about it. His secretary said that he would meet you two there."

The editor-in-chief nodded as his assistant continued, "Your town car's waiting down stairs. You and Julie need to get a move on if you want to get there on time."

Daniel and Julie stepped into his office to drop off their stuff from the meeting before they left the office to meet Bradford for lunch.

--

Bradford waited patiently for his son and the publicist who would make the next issue of his most successful magazine more of a triumph than he had originally envisioned. He sat at an elegant table with three place settings as he stared at the two empty chairs around the table. Soon, he rose from his chair as Julie and Daniel approached the table.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Dad," Daniel said as he and his father waited for Julie to take her seat before they took theirs.

"The traffic was horrible today, and we should have left right after the meeting," Julie mentioned as she placed her napkin in her lap.

"Oh, it's fine. I should have told you that I already had a reservation made for us instead of you having that assistant of yours scramble to get a table," Bradford replied in an apologetic tone. "With the meeting, it just slipped my mind."

A sigh escaped from Daniel's lips. "Well, at least we're all here now."

Bradford nodded before he turned his attention to the publicist that he wanted to know more about. He smiled at her briefly before he spoke up. "I see you aren't the type to disappoint," he observed with an appreciative nod. "You've done more for _Mode _than any other publicist who has set foot through the door."

Julie smiled back at Bradford before she glanced over at Daniel. "Well, things aren't going to come to you without persistence and know-how. I've been in the industry long enough to know how to get what I want."

"You know, Daniel, you could learn _a lot_ from Autumn. She's definitely the publicist _Mode_ needs to be able to get some of the most sought-out celebrities."

"Well, I don't intend of letting her go anytime soon," Daniel grinned, resisting the urge to wink at Julie. "She plays a key part in the future of _Mode_. You know, Dad, you may want to see if you can buy out her contract with RSM and hire her to work for Meade."

Julie snickered at Daniel's suggestion. "Now let's not get ahead of ourselves, gentlemen. This issue isn't done yet, and I am pretty sure it would a lot of convincing to get me to leave RSM considering I've been a part of their company for years. They would put up a huge fight for me."

"Daniel, Autumn's impressive, but this is just one issue of _Mode_. I mean, hiring her to work for Meade would be like me handing you the reigns now when you obviously have a long way to go in terms of running a company," Bradford said as he returned to his typical skeptical self when it came to his son.

Daniel gulped as he tried to think of something to say, but his mind went blank.

Julie cleared her throat. "You know, Mr. Meade, I told Daniel this morning that the women's cover shoot should be completed by the end of the week and by the middle of next week, both photo shoots should be done."

Julie carefully watched Bradford as his expression softened with the change of subject. Somehow she knew how to handle Bradford and his way he was especially toward Daniel.

The rest of their lunch was pleasant under the circumstances. Julie had played her cards right when it came to Bradford Meade and the way he felt about business. She had gained Bradford's trust to the point where the president of Meade Publications didn't have to breathe down his son's neck about this issue and how it would turn out.

The publicist would now be more involved with the magazine than anyone had expected her to be, but for the sake of Daniel's first Hollywood issue, she wanted to ensure that everything was up-to-par with the standards she had in mind. Julie saw the Hollywood issue as the object that brought her and Daniel back together, and there was no way she was going to let things fall apart.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please feel free to read and review! ;) _


	8. Wasn’t Supposed to be This Way

**Author's Note: **_I know this chapter isn't as long as some of my chapters have been, but I honestly couldn't fit anymore into it even though I tried. lol Please forgive any minor typos. I'll go back and fix any when I can. :) _

* * *

**Chapter Eight  
**_Wasn't Supposed to be This Way_

The week was coming to a quick close. It was now Friday at _Mode_ magazine and Daniel was now in the middle of sifted through proofs of the previous day's photo shoot with Kirsten Dunst, Cameron Diaz, and Keira Knightley. Julie had kept her word about having one of the photo shoots done by the week's end and the photo shoot for the men's spread was already set up for the following Tuesday.

Daniel and Betty had taken over the conference room for the sake of table space when it came to the huge amount of proofs the two of them had to go through. They had hopes of narrowing down the amount of pictures to just a couple of stacks for Julie to look over later in the day, but at the rate things were going since it was already after 10 am at _Mode_, it didn't seem like the editor-in-chief with his assistant would get the job done before Daniel's appointment with Julie at 2 pm.

"Daniel, we've been in here for over two hours already, and we haven't gotten anywhere with these proofs," Betty observed as she started to tap her pen against the table out of habit.

He cleared his throat as he eyed Betty's pen as a signal for her to stop. She noticed the look on his face when it came to her actions and stopped her pen. "Sorry," Betty said sheepishly as she put down the pen and clasped her hands together.

He flashed a weak smile before he attempted to focus on the pictures in front of him.

"Daniel…" Betty watched him carefully as he was seemingly listless about pictures of three beautiful women in front of him. "Focus please? Julie's going to be here this afternoon, and she said she wanted you to narrow down the options by the time she got here."

"I know," Daniel sighed. "I've just got a lot on my mind lately. It's just…" He stopped himself before he gave away too much about what he was thinking.

Betty crossed her arms and gave her boss her all-knowing judgmental look. She stared at him over the brim of her red glasses.

"This issue is important, and I know I need to focus on it, but I've been dealing with a lot lately, Betty," he mentioned, not making much sense to anyone but himself.

Betty gave him a confused look as her expression softened slightly, and she leaned forward to listen to what he had to say. "Well, you aren't going to feel better about anything if you keep it bottled up. What's going on, Daniel? Everything's falling into place."

"I know I shouldn't question anything right now considering things have been going my way lately, but there's just this one thing that's hanging over my head. It's so silly yet so important all at once. I mean, I shouldn't let it get to me like I have, but there's a lot a stake here considering the circumstances."

"You aren't making much sense…I hope you realize this."

Daniel nodded before a long sigh escaped from his lips. "Right now I just need you to listen to me, okay?"

Betty gave her boss and friend a smile with a sympathetic nod before she set her pen and notepad aside. "Alright, just talk to me, Daniel."

"You know I have a lot on my plate right now with this issue when it comes to my father making sure this is tough for me, but thanks to Julie, it really hasn't. And then I have Alexis saying she'll leave me alone so I can do this issue on my own, but I have this feeling if the opportunity pops up, she take everything from me in true Alex form. So, I've been dealing with that and something else that I've been struggling with, but I didn't want to burden you with it…I still don't, but I will say that whatever this is, it's more complicated than anything I've ever experienced."

Betty's eyes narrowed slightly as she listened to what Daniel had to say. Sure, he'd been busy with the issue and he'd always been stressed out when it came to the idea of Alexis going back to being Alex and wanting to steal the spotlight from her brother, but she didn't understand this something new.

Her boss wasn't making much sense, and as Betty tried to put the pieces to the puzzle to help Daniel, she really couldn't figure out what he meant with the tiny tidbits of information he was willing to share. She knew better than to question him, to push him into telling her more than what he was willing to say because quite frankly, it would only make him clam up and not talk about whatever it was all together.

Daniel ran a hand through his hair as he propped his elbows in the table before he cradled his head in his hands. "I got myself into this, but I am not sure how I can get myself out of it considering when everything started out, it seemed like it wouldn't hard. However, now the circumstances have changed and turned into what they are now, and I have no idea how to make good on all sides. It seems impossible."

He was clearly upset about whatever it was he was trying to convey to his assistant. The editor-in-chief wasn't talking about _Mode_ anymore from what Betty could tell, and it was moments like this that would frustrate her to a point with her boss considering he knew he had done something that he shouldn't have, but he would go along with whatever it was because that's what Daniel Meade always did.

"Daniel, it's not hard to do right thing…whatever it is," Betty mentioned quietly. "I can tell you're distraught about whatever this is, but you need to fix whatever it is you've gotten yourself into." She smiled at him, hoping he would listen to tiny amount of generic advice that would hopefully help him get through this bump in the road.

"I hate the way things have turned out. I mean, on the one hand, this way things turned out have been great, but if it wasn't for the reasons that things were put into motion, what's going on now that's awesome wouldn't have happened in the first place…I don't think it would have anyway," Daniel tried to explain without giving away what his struggles were actually about.

Betty heard the way Daniel was saying everything and she couldn't help but feel for him and the dilemma he was in. She gave him an encouraging nod to continue on with whatever else he had to say.

"I am surprised I haven't crumbled when it comes to the extra bit of stress I am under, but the good of this complicated situation is what keeps me going, I guess," he continued with a shrug.

Daniel groaned with a frustrated sigh as he threw his head back while leaning back in his chair. The weight of the world was on his shoulders with the situation with Julie and Becks. He knew he should just came out and call the stupid bet off, but he was damn sure he wanted to win to prove Becks wrong with all of his trash talk. It wouldn't hurt Becks to get to know Betty, and surely, Betty could teach his best friend a thing or two considering she had managed to get Daniel back on track to being the person he needed to be.

"You are letting this get you," Betty observed. "Are you sure it's even worth everything you're going through?"

That was the inevitable question that Daniel couldn't seem to find the answer to: Land the girl, win the bet or let the bet go and have this incredible relationship with the woman he thought he'd never see again? Both sides would be worth it in the end, but how could he have gotten into something like this without considering what would happen in the process of potentially winning the bet?

He wanted to kick himself for not keeping in mind about the possibility of being emotionally involved with Julie. Under the normal circumstances of bedding different women for each night of the week, this normally wouldn't be an issue for him considering he'd say he would call, but he never would. After their fling, she would tossed into the discard pile and if need be, flowers or jewelry would be sent to her as a parting gift, but nothing else would come of it…until now. The one time where everything was at stake would be the one time where things would potential blew up in his face.

Daniel's throat went dry right when he intended to give Betty the answer to the million-dollar question, but he knew better. Saying no would mean that Julie was nothing more to him than just another one of countless other women in his discard pile, but saying yes would be an indication to Betty that this had to be something major, and now was not the time to have his assistant worry about him more than she already did on a constant yet appreciated basis.

Betty tinted her head at her boss as she patiently waited for an answer. She watched him carefully in hopes that Daniel would give himself away, but he didn't have any tell signs…not like he normally would anyway, but she was sure this wasn't something typical like Daniel needing help with the concept of a spread or even trying to figure out which engagement ring was best for Sofia. The way her friend was going about this was something that Betty wasn't used to from him, and she wondered what or more than likely why this had such an effect on him.

"Does it really matter, Betty?" Daniel finally managed to get out. "Well, let me ask you this: have you had something happen to you when you least expect it, but it seems like it could be one of the best things that could have ever happened to you?"

Betty gave her boss a curious look. "Um, in what sense?"

"I mean, I am probably not making much sense considering I've never been good with words, but when I first set out to accomplish this….thing, I never thought it would turn out like it has. I mean, I've gained something awesome, but once everything comes to light, I'm sure I am screwed," Daniel explained before he fell back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"You're probably over-dramatizing everything, Daniel."

"Uh, I don't think so."

Betty gave her a nod, "If you say so, but whatever it is, you need to hurry up and make peace with it because if you don't, you'll continue to be this stressed until you'll have no idea what do with yourself."

"You're right, Betty," he conceded quietly.

Daniel had been fighting with his demons for the past several days. If he was at work, he was normally with Betty and Julie at the office or taking care of things for the Hollywood issue. He would take Julie out every night during the course of the week. It was hard to imagine that Daniel Meade would be seen with the same woman two nights in a row, let alone for over a week now.

It was at night where Daniel would let his guilt get to him. He would lie in bed and think about everything at stake. He lost sleep thinking about how to handle this situation. Somehow the younger Meade had let this get to him, and he hated that.

The old Daniel would never have second thoughts about sleeping with a woman he worked with, let alone wonder what other people thought of him. But now with women like Julie and Betty in his life, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if both of them found out the truth.

Daniel opened his eyes and looked over at his assistant who had a reassuring smile on her face. "Daniel, just do the right thing."

He gave her a small smile with a shrug. He knew that was easier said than done. It was one thing to call off the bet with Becks, but trying to explain to Julie that the main reason he started to date her was to sleep with her all for a bet wouldn't go over well. The two of them have grown closer during the past week even though they hadn't slept together. He had successfully gone a week with a single woman without sex, and it was refreshing to know that he was even capable of such a thing.

"You know what Betty…I need to make a phone call," Daniel said as he glanced at the phone on the conference table close to where the proofs were spread across the huge circular table.

"Uh, okay…do I need to get a number for you?"

Daniel pressed his lips together. "No, but can you give me a few minutes?"

"Sure," Betty said without questioning her boss' intentions. "If you need me, I'll be at my desk."

"Okay," Daniel nodded.

Betty started to walk toward the conference room doors before Daniel called out to her.

"Betty?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

He grinned at her. "Thanks for listening."

"You're welcome." She smiled warmly at him before she made her exit.

Daniel watched the glass door close behind her before he went over to the phone. His eyes were fixed on the receiver, and he paused briefly prior to picking it up to hear a dial tone. He slowly keyed in the numbers before he placed the receiver back on its base.

He let out a frustrated sigh before he pressed a button on the receiver for the speaker phone. Once he heard the dial tone, he quickly dialed the number before he changed his mind. The younger Meade sighed heavily as he placed his hands on the table to steady himself.

After three rings, someone picked on the other end of the line. "Hello?"

"Hey Becks, it's Daniel."

"Daniel! Buddy, have you sacked her yet?" Becks asked with intrigue as he wondered what his best friend would say.

"Becks…," Daniel groaned.

"What? Oh, come on, tell me…or let me guess, you haven't," Becks laughed through the phone.

"This isn't about the bet anymore," Daniel said in a serious tone.

"What are you talking about?"

"You heard me; Julie's more to me than_ your _stupid bet," Daniel said as he brought a hand up to his face. He ran it down the side of his face before he closed his eyes.

Becks couldn't help but laugh harder. "You've got to be kidding me. Daniel Meade fall in love? I don't think so….She's dumped you already, hasn't she?"

Daniel stared down at the phone's base with annoyance before he answered, "No, she hasn't. It's quite the contrary. I've spent a lot of time with her lately."

"Of course you have," Becks chimed in, "You've probably been shot down time after time. I'm sure she's seen through you already."

"Becks, you don't get it. The bet was one thing before I found out I had to work with her. She's the publicist I've been working with…" Daniel explained.

"Damn, I couldn't have planned this better myself," Becks replied smugly. "Trying to mix business and pleasure again? That's so man-whore of you."

"That's the thing…I haven't. Julie's not that type of woman."

There was silence from Becks' end of the line. He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "You've been telling me that you're getting closer to your goal."

"And I have been. I've spent basically every night with her since we met up with her that bar the other night."

"But I thought you just said that you hadn't slept with her yet."

"I haven't. It's known as talking and getting to know each other, Becks, but I am sure you have no idea how that works without throwing out a line or two to get a girl interested."

"And when the hell did that become part of your forte?" Becks asked. "You've got to be kidding me with all of this bullshit, Daniel. She's just another woman in our lives where you want to sleep with her. You know…you sleep with her and you forget about her. That's how it's always been."

"Well, maybe it's time for a change," Daniel mentioned as his eyes caught a glimpse of a candid shot from the photo shoot.

With the photographer that was chosen for the women's photo shoot, he had managed to take some shots of Julie talking to the women during the photo shoot. _Mode_'s editor-in-chief couldn't help but stare at the pictures of Julie that he had found.

"Do I need to remind you that we are two of a kind, Daniel? You'll always love the thrill of the chase," Becks retorted as a reminder.

"That's who I used to be, but with Julie, things are completely different. She doesn't hate me like she seemingly does with you, but after the truth comes out, I am sure she'll hate me just about as much as she does with you," Daniel groaned at the thought of telling her the truth.

"You're so lame, Daniel. I mean, she's just another conquest that you'll fall short of. You might as well admit that I am going to win this bet considering if you bother to come clean, you won't have a chance in hell."

"I don't give a shit what you think of me right now because I want this damn thing to be over and done with," Daniel said with anger in his voice. "This bet is bullshit considering I've probably just fucked up one of the best things I've got going in my life, but at least, I'll have that piece of mind to know that this is over."

"You know, Daniel, when you finally decided to grow some balls instead of being this lovey-dovey whatever it is you're trying to be, give me a call."

"You're an arrogant son-of-a…"

Before Daniel had a chance to finish what he had to say, he heard a click and the dial tone.

"That fucking asshole," Daniel sighed as he fell back into his chair.

He never expected Becks to understand how things were between him and Julie. He hadn't expected his best friend not to hear him out either, but Daniel had grown accustomed to his talks with Betty where she would listen without saying how she felt about it unless he asked her for her opinion.

The younger Meade had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he noticed the pictures of Julie in front of him again. He knew he had to come clean and figure out a way to tell her about everything, but at the same time, he had to push down those feelings so he could focus at the task at hand…figuring out which pictures would be best for the Hollywood issue. He turned the pictures of Julie over to where he didn't have to look at them for the time being.

After few minutes of Daniel sitting at table without getting much accomplished, he looked down at his watch and noticed it was now 11 am. The pictures started to blur together, and he couldn't find it in himself to focus on what he needed to do.

Daniel leaned over to the phone and pressed the intercom button and dialed Betty's extension.

"Hey Betty?"

"Hey Daniel," Betty said in her cheery disposition.

He noticed the warmth in his assistant's voice and somehow that helped him feel a little bit better. He couldn't help but smile weakly at the sound of her voice.

"I know I've got these proofs to go through and all, but I need to take an early lunch. It's been one of those days," Daniel sighed.

"Do you need me make you a reservation anywhere in particular?"

"Um, no, that's okay. I just need to get out of the office for a little while. I'll be back in about an hour."

"Are you okay, Daniel?" Betty asked somewhat concerned.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he chuckled nervously to himself. "Don't worry about me, Betty. I just need to take a break from being here. I just feel like the walls are closing in on me."

"Oh…" Betty said. "Well, you have been working a lot lately."

"Yeah, that's true," Daniel said, trying to convince himself of that more than his assistant. "Betty, if it's really important you can call me on my cell, but other than that, just take messages for me, alright?"

He offered as he got up from his chair. He looked down at the mess in the conference room and there was no point of trying to straightening it. He would come back to the office and pick up right where he left off.

"Sure," she said as she was sure her boss was about to end their call. "Daniel?"

"Yes, Betty?"

"If you want to talk about it, I am always here to listen.'

"I know…thank you. I'll be back in an hour," Daniel said with a sigh as he grabbed his jacket.

"You better be," she chuckled lightly.

Daniel ended their call and headed out of the conference room. He needed some time away from the office to get some much needed fresh air.

--

Alexis knew that her brother had taken over the conference room for the day considering he had the photo shoot for the women's spread of the Hollywood issue. Daniel had to entertain the three of them who were featured in the magazine yesterday which she knew wouldn't be hard for him with his infamous reputation.

She was about to head into the conference room to see what her brother was up to considering she had walked by several times during the course of the morning and from what she could tell, he hadn't gotten much done. Alexis thought it might be best to show Daniel how a real editor gets the job done when it came to sifting through proofs.

Alexis cracked the door open before she opened it fully to go into the conference room when she noticed Daniel was on the phone.

"Hey Becks, it's Daniel."

"Daniel! Buddy, have you sacked her yet?"

_Sacked who…now?_ Alexis wondered to herself as she quietly eavesdropped on Daniel's conversation.

"This isn't about the bet anymore," Daniel protested.

"What are you talking about?"

"You heard me; Julie's more to me than_ your _stupid bet."

_Danny has a bet going about Julie? Who the hell is Julie?_ Alexis thought to herself as she began to rack her brain about who Daniel and Becks would have a bet about. She knew her playboy little brother had slept with a lot of women from his past. It was so typical of what she expected from him. _Why is the name Julie familiar to me lately?  
_

As she continued to listen hoping that some light would be shed on this topic of this bet about this Julie woman, she couldn't help but be excited once she heard the one thing that would put a nail in Daniel's coffin when it came to "his" great idea of the Hollywood issue.

"Becks, you don't get it. The bet was one thing before I found out I had to work with her. She's the publicist I've been working with…" Daniel explained.

"Damn, I couldn't have planned this better myself," Becks said with excitement. "Trying to mix business and pleasure again? That's so man-whore of you."

_Why would Danny have a bet going with Becks about this publicist? What's so great about her?_

_  
_Alexis wasn't stupid when it came to Autumn Madison. She knew she would be this huge asset to_ Mode _as long as she stayed on good terms with Daniel since he was considered the editor-in-chief at the magazine, but now if she could only get Miss Madison to realize that Daniel wasn't as great of an editor as everyone wanted her to believe.

Besides their Fashion Week bet every year, when did Daniel and Becks bother to have a bet about a woman?

And then it came to her…

"_You're still trying to win that bet with Becks over the Ice Princess, huh?" Alex asked his little brother._

"_You know it. You would think with me being a Meade, that would get me somewhere, but it hasn't and I have no idea why not considering girls normally jump at the chance," Daniel said frustrated._

"_You've got a lot to learn, Danny," he chuckled. _

"I never thought their paths would cross again especially under these circumstances," Alexis observed quietly to herself. "Becks is right…there is no way anyone could have planned this better." She held back a laugh.

This was the best news Alexis could have had happen to her naïve little brother. It didn't surprise her that Daniel jumped at the chance to re-instate his bet with Becks when it came to Julie "The Ice Princess" Madison, but what had surprised her was the fact she or anyone else at the office didn't have a clue that Daniel and Julie were seeing each other. How did they manage to keep everything on the down-low? She was amazed that somehow Daniel of all people hadn't given himself away sooner.

"And when the hell did that become part of your forte?" Becks questioned. "You've got to be kidding me with all of this bullshit, Daniel. She's just another woman in our lives where you want to sleep with her. You know…you sleep with her and you forget about her. That's how it's always been."

"Well, maybe it's time for a change," Daniel replied defensively.

"Daniel wants to be a descent human being?" Alexis whispered while she shook her head, unsure of what to think about this new development. "Isn't it a little too late for that?"

Suddenly, Alexis realized that this was what she needed to drive a wedge between Daniel and Julie. She couldn't wait to inform Julie that her relationship with her younger sibling had seemingly been a lie to win some stupid bet with his best friend. She didn't care to hear the rest of the conversation between Daniel and Becks because quite frankly, she had heard everything she needed for his demise.

_Wow, Danny's really done himself in this time,_ Alexis grinned to herself as she quietly closed the door so her brother wouldn't hear her. With that, the older Meade sibling was gone as quick as she came.


	9. It All Came Crumbling Down

**Author's Note: **_For some reason, there were parts of this chapter that I struggled with, but I am pretty happy with the finished product. I hope you like it. This was a long time coming, but it was inevitably going to happen. If there are some typos, please look over them. I'll try to go back and correct them when I have time. I just wanted to go ahead and get this posted for your reading enjoyment. :)_

* * *

**Chapter Nine  
**_It All Came Crumbling Down_

"I didn't think you'd have trouble figuring out which pictures of Kirsten, Cameron, and Keira would be appealing," Julie commented, holding back a giggle with her right arm was stretched out on the table as she leaned her head against her hand. "I mean, as you would say, 'they're hot' so I can't believe you'd have trouble with such a task."

"Well, you've more objective about this than me. Besides, I like having you around," Daniel grinned with a wink.

Julie smiled back and pointed to what seemed to be the last of the proofs on the table in front of them. "I think this should be the cover," Julie nodded as she tapped her fingernail lightly on the corner of the proof.

"This one?" Daniel asked, playing dumb.

"Yeah, you heard me, Mr. Meade," Julie giggled softly. "This is the money shot if I do say so myself."

"Uh, I don't know," he teased still trying to act like he wasn't so sure about Julie's decision. "I might need a little convincing."

Julie eyed him suspiciously while she pursed her lips together. "Mhmm…let me win, Daniel…please?" she pouted. "I'll make it up to you later." She said suggestively with mischievous yet innocent look in her eyes.

"Oh, really?" Daniel said more enthused, "And how do you plan on that?"

"I am sure I'll think of something," Julie said nonchalantly before her eyes met his.

They stared at each other for a short time, and it was nice to have these little moments between them at the office where they didn't have to say anything. Moments like this were hard to come back in the busy offices of _Mode_ especially with the preparation and assembly of the Hollywood issues.

Julie briefly placed her hand on top on Daniel's hand that was on the table. Her eyes glanced down the small connection they had made before she picked up the stack of proofs that were the acceptable pile. She once again thumbed through them to have another look at each of them before she would write them off with her approval.

Somehow after Daniel went on his long walk at Central Park and a lot of arguing with himself, he had managed to get over his conflicting thoughts about Julie and the bet. He knew he would come out and tell her; but now with everything at stake, now was not the time. Daniel had convinced himself to tell her once things had settled down for the magazine to where she wouldn't feel the pressure of getting these issues done. He wanted to tell her the honest truth, but it just wasn't in the cards right now, and he wasn't going to ruin something that had been going so well. Even though, he had come to this conclusion, he could still hear Betty in his mind. _"Daniel, just do the right thing."_

He had managed to push down his inter-struggles to get through this meeting with Julie. He realized that the woman in his life could read him rather well considering they'd only been together for only over a week now. Somehow Julie knew Daniel better than he ever expected her to at this stage of their relationship.

"I think these are going to do it for now," Julie said as she set the stack of proofs on the conference table.

The editor-in-chief of _Mode_ was lost in his thoughts when Julie had said what she did.

"Daniel?" Julie asked as her eyes glanced over at him.

"Huh?" Daniel replied as he shifted his attention to her. "I am sorry, Julie. Today's been a long day."

Julie chuckled at him softly, "I know how that is, but I am sure you'll feel better tonight. We're still on, aren't we?"

"Of course, I would never bail on you, Jules," Daniel smiled as his eyes made contact with hers.

He knew better than to bail on her now. In Daniel's eyes the bet was over, but he was still trying to figure what speed their relationship was going. It had evolved a lot during the week, and he wanted to have a better understanding of where they stood. He had grown to appreciate Julie's way of listening during their talks and the way Julie would smile at him warmly during the moments of silence while they talked along with the way she would tilt her head slightly and tuck some hair behind her ear when she was nervous or couldn't figure out what to say. It was the little things about Julie that Daniel had grown to love and appreciate about her.

"Okay, good," she grinned. "Well, I think we're done for the day. Has your features editor finished writing the article for the women's spread?" She asked as she was getting her stuff together.

"Uh, not yet, but it should be done by the beginning of next week so I should be able to plug the pictures we've chosen into the spread by Monday's end," Daniel offered.

"This is moving right along from what I can tell," she observed as she glanced over at Daniel from putting the last of her paperwork in a folder.

"I don't think it would be coming together this quickly without you," Daniel smiled as he tried to straighten the stacks of paper on the conference room table.

"That's how it is when you work with me," she shrugged.

"Julie, you don't give yourself enough credit," he countered.

"I guess…" Julie said quietly as she closed her briefcase.

"Stop being modest, you've done so much for me and _Mode_ in the past week."

"You know what? I am not in the mood to argue with you. So, this is my cue to leave," she said, holding back a chuckle.

"You don't have to…," Daniel quietly whined.

"Yes, I do. Besides, I'll see you in a few hours. Patience is a virtue, Daniel," she giggled. "I need to get going anyway. I need to finish up some stuff at my office, but we'll get together tonight and it should be fun."

"What do you want to do tonight?" Daniel stuck his hands in his pockets and he rocketed back and forth on his heels as he looked down at the table.

"Um, I am not sure. Maybe we could go out or order in and rent a movie at your place? I dunno. We'll figure something out," Julie grinned.

--

Once Julie finished up with her meeting with _Mode_'s editor-in-chief in the conference room, she was on her way to elevators on the 28th floor. She wanted to finish up some things at the office before her date with Daniel. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a lanky guy approaching her.

"Miss Madison?"

Julie wanted to be left alone so she could get on the elevator and be on her way, but that wasn't going to happen. She continued walking, hoping that if she ignored this guy, he would leave her alone.

"Wow, I see you really know how to uphold your frigid bitch reputation, Ice Princess," the man said with spite.

Julie froze in her tracks. She quickly turned around to see the guy who had the audacity to say such a thing to her when she obviously didn't know who he was and he knew little to nothing about her.

"Excuse me?" She asked as her eyes narrowed and she stared at him coldly without saying much of anything else.

"I thought that would get your attention," he said with a smug smirk on his face while he crossed his arms cross his chest. "Alexis Meade would like to see you."

"And what makes you think I want to see her?" Julie stared at him like he was an idiot.

"I am pretty sure you'd be interested in what she has to say," he reasoned, trying to get her to follow him to Alexis' office.

"Um, how would you know?" She questioned unsure of what to think.

"Trust me; you deserve to know the truth," he answered, hoping that his vague answers would reel her in. He was determined to get Julie to go to the older Meade sibling's office.

"Truth to what?"

"Oh, you'll find out in due time."

Julie had a feeling that she shouldn't bother to follow this stranger who had insisted that she follow him to see Alexis. She could only assume that he was her assistant that she had heard about from people she heard talking in the cafeteria or in the elevator during the time she spent at _Mode_. Julie was curious to know about this truth that he had insisted she needed to find out from Alexis.

"Alexis' assistant, right?" Julie said with a touch of uneasiness.

"You got that right, babe. The name's Nick," he said over her his shoulder before he looked back at her and winked.

Julie rolled her eyes at the way Nick was being. She noticed he reminded her of an exaggerated version of how Daniel used to be in college when he was trying to come onto her. She shook her head at the thought of another guy coming on to her like Daniel and Becks had done in the past. She had dealt with this more times than she had cared for and now was not the time to have another round.

Nick led Julie to Alexis' office. He opened the door for her and told her to go on in.

With some hesitation, Julie paused at the door and took a deep breath as she glanced into the older Meade's office. She looked around the room briefly as she move her way inside. She studied her surroundings and hoped that whatever it was that Alexis had to say would be brief considering it was Friday and she wanted to finish up her errands before her date with Daniel.

For a moment, Julie thought Alexis wasn't in her office until Alexis turned her chair around to face the publicist with a small smile on her face.

"What do you want, Alexis?" Julie asked, wasting no time to get the point.

"Autumn, you and I have a lot to talk about when it comes to my little brother Danny," Alexis said as she got up from her chair. She walked around to the front of her desk before she crossed her arms and leaned against it.

Julie was on guard as she set her purse and briefcase on a chair in Alexis' office. Her eyes narrowed at _Mode_'s co-editor-in-chief.

"What about _Daniel_?" Julie asked, slightly on edge.

"You'll have to forgive Daniel when I tell you this because his actions did not reflect _Mode_'s intentions by any means," Alexis sympathized.

"What are you talking about, Alexis?" Julie asked as she drew in a deep breath. She tucked some of her loose hair behind her left ear, unsure of what to think.

"It's just that…you are Julie, right?" she asked innocently.

"Um, only my family and close friends call me that," Julie said defensively, and she was pretty particular about who called her Julie and Alexis was not one of them.

"So, Daniel _and _Becks are considered to be your close and personal friends?" Alexis asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I didn't say anything about Becks," Julie rolled her eyes with disgust. "Beckett Scott and I have a past if you want to call it that, but it's more by association than anything else. Where are you going with this, Alexis?" Julie asked as she glanced down at the floor before she looked at the older Meade sibling with that look on her face that Julie couldn't read.

Alexis watched Julie carefully as she was sizing her up, hoping that she could play her cards right and the publicist from Hollywood would believe what she had to say when it came to her version of Daniel and Becks' bet. She had watched the way Daniel and Julie were acting together in the conference room and she realized that this woman was different than any of the other women her brother was typically interested in.

"I just thought you had a right to know considering I am sure you and Daniel have spent a lot of time together lately," Alexis reasoned, knowing that what she was saying was true.

"Well, I am helping out this magazine with its Hollywood issue, am I not?"

"Oh, but from what I've gathered from Daniel, you two have been seeing each other beyond the office, right?"

Julie clamed up briefly as she tried to figure out which was the best way to answer that question.

"You know, Autumn, your silence speaks volumes. It just saddens me how Daniel's been leading you on in the wrong direction. From what I can tell, you are one of the best things that happened to him, and it breaks my heart to know that his end of the relationship has been a lie," Alexis said sympathetically.

Julie stood there in silence as her hands were on her hips. "If you have a point, make it." She demanded.

"It's just you've been so helpful with the magazine from what I can tell, and he's being a jerk about how he feels about you," Alexis simply stated.

"Not like it's any of your business, but Daniel and I are close and he's been a perfect gentleman about everything," Julie answered defensively as she continued to watch Daniel's sister carefully.

Alexis couldn't help but laugh at what Julie had to say. "Oh, you're more naïve than what I thought."

"I don't appreciate the way you are going about this. Cut the crap, Alexis and get on with whatever it is you're just dying to tell me." Julie demanded as her patience was running thin.

"Okay, fine." Alexis said before she cleared her throat. "I assume you remember that bet Daniel and Becks had when it came to you in college. I remember Danny used to talk to me about that from time to time."

"And that was a long time ago," Julie retorted.

"I wouldn't assume it's all in the past. I know, Daniel and I haven't been much of a team lately, but once he told me about the bet he and Becks had when it came to you, I couldn't stand the thought of having to work with him while he had this charade going on. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty for _Mode_, and I couldn't stand by and watch Daniel lie to you anymore." Alexis said with what looked to be sadness in her eyes.

A silence had fallen between the two of them as Julie was trying to process everything that Alexis had told her. Alexis noticed that the hardened expression on Julie's face softened and she had taken Julie by surprise just like she had expected.

"You mean they've had a bet going on since I started working here at _Mode_?" Julie choked out finally as she felt like she had been punched in the stomach.

Alexis gave her a sympathetic look with a small nod. "I tried to tell him to tell you, but you know how Daniel is when he's with Becks. He wouldn't listen to me and that's why he keeps getting between us. He certainly didn't want me to tell you about what's been going on."

The look on Julie's face changed from one of shock to one where she wasn't happy and Alexis knew that Daniel was the target to her rage.

"That womanizing…back-stabbing asshole," Julie said, fuming.

"I am so sorry, Autumn, but you deserved to know the truth."

"Uh, yeah, it's better late than never I guess. Oh, Daniel Meade's got another thing coming to him if he thinks he is going to win any damn bet that involves me when it's between him and Becks," Julie said with anger in her voice.

"I know, you and Daniel basically have the women's spread done, and the men's photo shoot is coming up at the beginning of next week. Why do you work with me considering I'm the one with legitimate experience at being an editor-in-chief? I can only assume that my little brother gave you the impression that he knows what he is doing, but if it wasn't for Wilhelmina, Daniel would be lost when it came to _Mode_." Alexis asked, hoping that she had reeled Julie into believing everything she had said.

Alexis knew that Julie deserved to hear her version of the truth to take the Hollywood issue away from Daniel, but she did hope that Julie learning this truth would mean that she would work with her instead of pulling both spreads and everything out from _Mode _to go to one of the magazine's competitors.

Julie let out a frustrated sigh as she knew she had been had by Daniel, but there was no way in hell she would let him get away with what he had done. Julie Madison knew she was worth more than any stupid bet that he had with his best friend.

"I'd love to work with an editor-in-chief who seemingly has more experience and know-how in her pinky than in her brother's disposal by any stretch of the imagination." Julie said with more rage than logical reasoning.

Alexis breathed a silent sigh of relief to herself before a smug came across her lips. She had won the battle without much interpretation from her baby brother and his assistant. She was proud of herself and the way she has seemingly brought Daniel to his downfall.

"I'll come by Monday to see if the features editor has the women's spread completed, and I am sure the pictures that were chosen today will be to your liking, Alexis." Julie said before she cleared her throat. "Once I get back to my office, I'll forward you the schedule that I had with Daniel, and we can pick up where I left off with Daniel."

"That'd be great. Don't worry about cancelling your appointment times with Daniel. I'll have Nick take care of that, and I'll see you on Monday. I'm just sorry that we had to start working together under such circumstances with Daniel's inability to be a descent human being when it comes to women," Alexis once again apologized for Daniel's supposed mistake.

After the two of them exchanged their good-byes and Julie gathered up her things, she headed to the elevators without interruption. She wanted to get out of _Mod_e as fast she could because she had a lot of things to do before her date with man who had hurt more than she ever realized he could.

--

Daniel and Julie had gotten together for their date that night, and Julie had acted relatively normal during their dinner at one of her favorite bistros before they retired for a quiet evening at Daniel's.

Tonight Julie had made the decision to change up her normal date attire with something that she knew would drive Daniel crazy. She had chosen a black dress that hugged her curves and showed a little bit cleavage. It was a nice change from her typical way of keeping herself covered up.

"And this hectic week has come to an end," Julie sighed as she watched Daniel come closer to the coffee table in front of the couch with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses in hand.

"But you have to admit, it's been a productive one," Daniel mentioned with a small grin on his lips.

Daniel held out a glass out for Julie before he sat beside her on the couch. Julie grinned as she took it from him. He poured both of them a glass before he set the bottle on the coffee table.

"You've got a point there," Julie nodded quietly before she took a sip from her glass.

Julie was curled up on the couch with her knees bent and legs were tucked under her. She cleared her throat before her eyes looked at Daniel's. She tilted her head to the side as she tried to figure out a way to bring up what she was thinking about. Daniel smiled warmly at her, and she couldn't help but return the gesture as best as she could while she wondered how to go about a certain topic.

"Daniel, what do you know about Sofia Reyes?" she asked him as she swirled the contents of her glass gently in her glass, wondering what Daniel's answer to her question would be.

"Uh, So--Sofia…Reyes?" Daniel asked, surprised by the question. He cleared his throat and loosened his tie.

"You know, the editor of _MYW_…" Julie offered, hoping Daniel would give her more than just that uneasy look on his face.

"Yeah, Sofia Reyes…she's an accomplished author turned editor," he noted with a shrug.

Daniel had a feeling that somehow Sofia would eventually be brought back up in his life, but he wasn't expecting it to be with Julie. He knew that he would tell Julie about her eventually, but now that Julie had brought it up…Daniel was beside himself with anxiety.

"I just wanted to know what you knew about her considering she wants to feature me in her magazine," Julie said.

Daniel's eyes widened at the thought of Julie and Sofia having a chance to talk especially with the way Sofia had humiliated him for her stupid magazine. He couldn't bear the thought of Sofia filling Julie's head with ideas of how she saw Daniel especially how things had ended between them and the way he was sure that Sofia would have her own version of the truth.

"It was completely unexpected, the way she approached me about the idea," Julie explained, not noticing the look on Daniel's face. "We ran into each other in the elevator earlier this week and she kind of had me in a corner. I mean, I haven't given her a yes or a no yet." Julie shrugged as she ran a fingertip along the rim of her wine glass.

"And have you come to a decision yet?" Daniel asked, hoping Julie would say no without much of having a second thought.

"Well, she messaged me over some of her previous issues and to my surprise, I noticed there was that infamous premiere issue and to my surprise, I wasn't expecting you to be featured on the cover," Julie said as she leaned back in her chair wanting to hear Daniel's explanation how things were between him and Sofia.

"Uh, well, it's over and done with…,"Daniel trailed off before he took a huge gulp from his glass.

"Yeah, she broke your heart." Julie observed before she cleared her throat. "I shouldn't have brought it up." She said quietly as she veered her eyes to the floor.

Julie nibbled on her bottom lip for a few seconds before her eyes glanced down at Daniel. She noticed the way he was looking at her and she wasn't used it to the look in his eyes where he seemed to be smittened with her.

"You're amazing," Daniel said to the break the silence between them.

His words caught Julie off guard as she looked up from her glass. She looked at him with curiosity especially when Daniel moved a little closer to her on the couch. He brought his hand up to her cheek and gently caressed it with his thumb.

Julie was receptive to his touch as she could feel herself getting goose bumps. She closed her eyes while a soft sigh escaped from her lips. She drew in a deep breath when she opened her eyes to see Daniel have this sweet expression on his face, but the conversation with Alexis popped into her mind. She wondered how he could be so sweet to her to get what he wanted when she knew he was more than likely reeling her in to get what he wanted…to win that stupid bet with Becks.

Daniel watched her as he knew that Julie's desire to come back to his place was a huge step for her. He knew she wanted to take things slowly, but it was her suggestion to come back to his apartment. He wasn't sure if something more would come of the night than their typical hours of conversation, but it was a definitely a step in the right direction.

Without really thinking about it, Daniel closed the gap between him and Julie to give her a soft kiss. He pulled away from her slowly to see how Julie felt about what he had done. She flashed him a smile and he took it as a sign to take her wine glass from her. He took it from her hand and set both glasses on the coffee table.

Julie intuitively bit down on her lower lip as she watched Daniel place their glasses on the table. She sighed softly, debating on whether or not to call him out on his stupidity considering she was pretty sure that he was trying to charm her so he could win the bet he couldn't ten years earlier. The past week of their relationship had been refreshing, and Daniel had seemingly proven himself to her, but the more she thought about what Alexis said, it drove her crazy. Besides, she wanted to wait until the perfect moment presented itself to say what she needed to say to the man she thought she could trust.

"You know, this has been the best week of my life," Daniel said as he took Julie's hands into his. "I mean, we make a good team both professionally and personally, Jules. You've done more for me lately than just help me with an issue of _Mode_."

She wasn't sure what to say or think at the moment so she listened to him without saying a word.

"I know, I am bad with words when it comes to saying how I feel, but I just want you know that you are the best thing that has happened to me, Julie. And I know I'm probably repeating myself when I say this, but I really am thankful for this second chance with you. I was an idiot in the past, and I know it's not easy to see me in a different light, but I swear, I've changed. I hope I can keep proving that to you," he explained.

Julie couldn't believe that Daniel was saying such things especially after Alexis revealed his true intentions. How could he be a hypocrite like that? Julie struggled with the way Daniel was being versus the version Alexis had told her about, but she tried to get past it. She wanted to get pass it to make their relationship work.

She couldn't help but smile at him. The Daniel she saw was a good person. He had given her the impression that he had given up on his old ways, but deep down, she couldn't help but wonder if he was just saying anything he could to win this bet. Was the bet more important to him than she was? Was she just another notch in Daniel's headboard? Julie hated having these doubts, but she couldn't help but have them.

Pushing her doubts aside for the time being, Julie went ahead and rewarded Daniel for his kind words. She pulled him closer to her and kissed him softly on the lips. She felt the corners of his mouth curve upward and for some reason, she couldn't help but giggle.

Breathing heavily, Daniel drew back from the kiss to look into her eyes, hoping she would give some sort of signal. He could tell they were tip-toeing along that line, but he wasn't going to push her into it if she wasn't ready for it.

Julie took in a deep breath before she wet her lips. She noticed the look on Daniel's face before she lightly grazed her lips against his. Daniel felt her breath against his skin, and it drove him crazy with the way she was teasing him. He pulled her closer to him to deepen the kiss, and once Julie parted her lips, the kiss quickly became more passionate. Before she knew it, Daniel had started to place a trace of kisses along her jaw line and down her neck.

"Jules?" Daniel said in between kisses.

"Oh, Daniel…." Julie managed to get out as she could feel herself getting worked up.

Daniel instinctively knew what she meant by the way she said his name. The two of them start to kiss again and somehow they moved into Daniel's bedroom. Daniel had ditched his tie while Julie had undone some of the buttons of his shirt. They continued to feverishly share a kiss until Julie unexpectedly pulled away from Daniel once he had sat down on his bed.

"Jules, what's going on?" He asked as he could still feel her lips on his with a bewildered look in his eyes.

"Daniel, I can't do this," Julie said abruptly.

"Uh…well, I told you I wasn't going to push you into anything," he reassured her.

"Stop being so perfect…this isn't you….," Julie said, fighting with the words.

"Wait, what?" Daniel was confused. "Don't you get it? I want this to work out."

"And you expect me to actually believe that? Come on; give me more credit than that," she retorted with some unexpected anger.

"Julie, what are you talking about?" Daniel asked, concerned about the change her demeanor. He had no idea what was going on.

She couldn't help but laugh at Daniel and the way he was being about the situation. "You have to be kidding me, right? I mean, I know what this is about. I am not some naïve woman you just picked up at a bar. This is me…you know, the one that got away. I am well-aware of your reputation as well as your petty bet with Becks."

"Uh, I can explain…wait…you know about the bet?" He asked sheepishly.

"I can't believe you would think that I wouldn't figure it out. You've been reeling me in for the past week saying things that you don't mean in order to win a stupid bet."

"It's not like that…I mean there was a bet, but--"

"But what, Daniel?! I am not going to let you talk your way out this. I thought you had changed but obviously, I was wrong. You're still that arrogant jerk I always thought you were. You'll always be that womanizing bastard…just like Becks. You almost had me convinced. Hell, I can't believe I was falling in love with you!" Julie ranted and raved.

Daniel tried to gulp, but his throat had gone dry. He wanted to explain to her that it wasn't like it seemed that he wasn't the jerk that she thought he was. The former playboy saw the hurt in Julie's eyes. Now he wanted to kick himself for not telling her himself. He had let a bet get the best of him even though he somehow let his ego get in the way of being happy.

"Julie…I…," he couldn't find any words to say that would make her feel better about what was going on.

"You can't even explain yourself. I should have known better to waste my time on attempting to have a relationship with you. I thought you and I actually had something. I've made a complete fool of myself…all for a stupid bet," Julie threw up her hands up in the air. "We're though, Daniel!"

Daniel's head began to swirl with questions of how and who could have told Julie about the truth or could she have found out for herself? He couldn't make sense of how that was possible considering he rarely did talk to Becks while Julie was with him, and even if he was, he would never come out and say anything about the bet in a way that give himself away. He tried to sift through the events of the past week, and nothing specific came to light where he knew Julie had figured it out. And even if she did know before now, she hadn't given him any signs of disbelief until now.

"You know, I really can't blame Sofia for how she screwed you over considering you've once again proven yourself to that careless bastard who only gives a damn about your stupid reputation. Here's a news flash for you: Daniel, there is more to life than how many women you've slept within a week's time. You're in the real world now, and you're supposedly running one of the most reputable fashion magazines in the entire world. Like I've said before, I don't understand why Bradford chose you to run _Mode_. It makes no sense considering you obviously don't give a damn about anyone but yourself," Julie huffed.

"Julie, there's more to this than what you think…I swear," he said softly, hoping there could be a slight chance that she'd listen to reason.

Julie threw her head back before she looked back at him with an icy glare.

"I don't care about what you have to say about anything right now. I give up. You're a lost cause."

"Julie, wait…"Daniel said quietly as he watched her storm out of his room.

He wanted to get up to stop her, but he couldn't find the strength to move. Before he knew it, Daniel heard a door slam and he could only assume it was Julie making her exit. He groaned before he fell back unto his bed.

The events of the evening flashed through his mind, and he remembered how enjoyable their evening at the restaurant had been and how Julie seemed perfectly normal. He couldn't figure out the change and somehow he was impressed by the fact that Julie hadn't said a word through dinner about anything until just then.

"Damn," he said out loud to himself.

Daniel pulled himself out of bed and made his way back to the kitchen. With the way his evening came to an abrupt end, he needed a drink. He grumbled to himself as he passed through the living room. He noticed that Julie had left her satin jacket on the arm of the couch.

"Great. I doubt she'll want that back," he said aloud to no one in particular.

Daniel walked into his kitchen in search of a bottle of scotch. He had kept one hidden away for such an occasion. He couldn't believe that something like this happened to him especially when it came to Julie Madison.

The past week of his life had been complicated with the bet hanging over his head along with everything else, but somehow throughout the whole ordeal, Julie had been the one thing that he could focus on and be happy about. She had given him so much in the past week that he hadn't realized it until she was gone.

After a few minutes, the younger Meade fumbled through the cabinets and found what he was looking for. He grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink. He took a couple of sips before he went into the living room and sat in the arm chair close to the couch. Daniel eyed Julie's jacket. He knew he needed to fix this because he was afraid that Julie would pull the second cover of the Hollywood issue as well possibly making it known that _Mode_ was not what it seemed to be thanks to him.

Daniel hated the way Julie's presence still lingered in his apartment. He could feel her lips against his and the more he thought everything, the angrier he got at himself for his screw up. He noticed his cell phone on the coffee table close to his and Julie's wine glasses.

He groaned while he leaned over to grab his phone. He sighed as he looked through his speed dial and dialed Betty's number. He let it ring a couple of times before he hung up. He stared at screen blankly, hoping that this was a bad dream. He tossed his phone onto the couch by Julie's jacket. He couldn't help, but focus on the one thing that Julie had left behind.

_This is going to be a long weekend._


	10. The Tables Have Turned

**Author's Note: **_I know the last chapter was the climax to this seemingly never-ending tale, but now it's on to the whole let's see how we can fix this phase. This is one of my favorite chapters to write in terms of how Betty and Daniel interact together. I could totally see Betty being this way with Daniel. I am just thankful that I'm able to write during the hiatus considering a lot of other people are having trouble in terms of inspiration. Anyways, I'll hush so you can get to reading. As I've said in chapters past, overlook the errors and I'll go back and fix them when I get a chance. _

**Chapter Ten  
**_The Tables Have Turned_

Somehow Daniel had managed to show up at _Mode_ on Monday morning. He dreaded coming to the office because he knew he had a lot face between the possibility of not even having a Hollywood issue anymore and the chance that Julie would be gone as quick as she came.

The editor-in-chief knew he had to face the mess he had gotten himself into head on whether he actually wanted to or not. He basically had one of the covers finished, and he hoped that Julie hadn't pulled them all together. He never imagined that things could go from being perfect to a wreck in a matter of hours like they had on Friday.

During the course of Daniel's weekend between the bottle of scotch and the whole "should I, shouldn't I?" argument when it came to whether he should actually talk to Betty about the situation loomed over his head. He spent the majority of the weekend, thinking about how things had fallen apart when it came to him and Julie. Their meeting on Friday had been productive, and she had been a tease and flirty in her typical Julie fashion that drove him crazy…in a good way, of course, but with the way their date ended that night, he couldn't figure out when things had fallen apart.

How in the world did Julie find out about the bet? He had poured his heart out to her over their shared bottle of wine at his place, and the next thing he knew she was yelling at him and out the door. The more he thought about it, the more it drove him insane knowing that he had more than likely screwed himself over in both aspects of his life.

He wasn't exactly sure how he had managed to pull himself together to get to work on Monday, but he had strolled by Betty's desk while she was gone without having to worry about her questions. The editor-in-chief knew that if his assistant saw him before he got into his office, before he had a chance to close the door between him and the outside world that Betty would ask way too many questions because she knew him better than anyone else.

Today Daniel's goal was to get through the day without having to explain the missed calls Betty had on her phone or how when she did try to call him back, he wouldn't ask his phone. The first few hours after Julie left were the hardest considering all he could remember was that one minute they were kissing and the next minute she was gone.

Daniel sat in the chair behind his desk, looking out the window. He stared into the usual New York morning, hoping that when he eventually decided to turn around that things would go back to normal. That was his plan until he heard his intercom buzz, and he knew it was Betty. He turned to grab the phone without looking up at his assistant.

"Yes, Betty?" Daniel said softly, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Daniel, do you want me to get your coffee and bagel for you this morning?" Betty asked in a concerned tone.

"Uh…," he started, unsure if he actually wanted her to come into his office with all of her questions. "Sure." He hung up the phone without offering Betty much of anything else.

He tried to pull himself together once he was sure that his assistant was out of sight, getting his usual morning meal. He straightened his shirt and collar before he turned to face Betty's empty desk and inevitably everyone at _Mode_.

Before he knew it, Betty was at Daniel's door with his usual bagel and coffee in hand. She placed his bagel on top of his coffee cup before she turned the door handle to get into her boss' office. Betty flashed him one of her warm smiles as she made her way through the door.

"Good morning, Daniel."

"Uh, morning, Betty," he said, trying to remain calm.

Once she made it to his desk, she placed his coffee in front of Daniel before she moved his bagel to the side of his cup.

Daniel could feel Betty's eyes fixed on him. He was sure she wanted to know why he was so quiet and how things were going when it came to the dilemma they had talked about Friday morning. Reluctantly, he looked up at his assistant and gave her his best effort of a smile.

"Well, Julie's suppose to be here at 10 for your scheduled meeting," Betty reminded. "I already talked to Jeremy in features this morning, and he told me that the article for the women's spread should be ready right before lunch or right after so you and Julie should have a copy of it before 1 pm."

"Uh, great," he said with weak enthusiasm.

Daniel was surprised that Julie hadn't called to cancel all of her appointments with him for the rest of week. With their fall out, he was quite sure that she never wanted to see him again let alone work with him at _Mode_.

Betty narrowed her eyes at him slightly with a confused look before she paused briefly. "Did you still want to have the meeting with the photographer about the men's photo shoot?"

"Nope, I think we covered everything last week."

"Are you sure? I mean, this is a photo shoot for George Clooney, Tobey Maguire, and Johnny Depp. I know Julie said she had everything under control, but are you the least bit concerned with it?"

"Not really, this is Julie…I mean, Autumn Madison…top-publicist we talking about." He said, trying to convince himself of that more than his assistant. "I trust that Julie's going to take care of everything like she promised."

"Well, that's true." Betty grinned. "Is there anything else you need before your meeting?"

Daniel just shook his head without saying much of anything else.

"Um, okay, Daniel…if you need anything, just let me know." She said awkwardly.

"Will do," he nodded.

Betty gave her boss an uneasy smile without anything else before she headed out of Daniel's office. She closed the door behind her and sighed, unsure of what to think when it came to the way the man behind _Mode_ was acting.

Daniel picked up his coffee and took a long sip from it. He was thankful that Betty didn't question him about his weekend. The seemingly former playboy wasn't ready for the questions, and he wasn't sure how to go about giving her answers considering he continued to question himself about how things had turned out.

He sat back in his chair and pictured the way Julie looked in his mind from that night with that black dress with the thin black strips that hugged her curves and insinuated all of the right places. Daniel couldn't help but smile at the memory, but it was unfortunate how things had turned out that night. He couldn't help but dwell on the way the she looked at him with that look in her eyes while things were perfect before it all fell apart.

His eye caught glimpse of Julie's draft proposal on the corner of his desk.

"Great…she's everywhere," he said to himself with a groan before he started to nurse on his coffee.

--

Betty went back to sit in her desk with confusion as she watched Daniel through the glass between her desk and his. She made it look like she was focus on getting some work done at her computer, but she was stealing glimpses of her boss. She was concerned about Daniel and the way he was acting on this particular Monday morning because it wasn't like him to be this quiet.

She remembered how he had told her some things the previous Friday, but it didn't make sense to her why he was acting this way. He was in high spirits before they parted at the end of last week, but now was not the case. What could have happened during the weekend to make Daniel be like this?

The assistant to the editor-in-chief tried to focus on the work she had to do at her computer, but she kept catching herself watching Daniel in his office more than getting much of anything done. She hated the way he sat in his chair when he was like this, the way he sank into his chair, hoping no one would notice him, but Betty inevitably couldn't help but worry about her friend.

"Hey, Betty…" a voice said as it approached her desk.

"Oh, Julie…hi," she had been caught off guard. She cleared her throat before she looked up to see Julie Madison.

Today Julie was going for a different look that wasn't typical of how she presented herself during the past week. She had her hair pulled up in a French twist where it wasn't on her neck anymore, and she wore this stylish pair of glasses with silver frames. She had made some subtle changes to her appearance along with her attire, and for some reason, it didn't suit Julie from what Betty could tell.

"I am not sure if Alexis and Nick told you, but when it comes to the men's spread, Alexis and I thought it would be best if we worked on it so Daniel wouldn't have to worry with it," Julie said before she cleared with her throat.

"Uh…why would you change editors in the middle of an issue?" Betty asked with a slight pitch change in her voice. "It's just you've been working with Daniel from the get go, and it doesn't make sense to switch now."

Betty studied the expression on Julie's face, but she obviously didn't know the publicist well enough to be able to read her well. She pushed her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she stared up at Julie. She was confused about what was going on, but she didn't have a chance to question her.

"It's unavoidable, Betty. It's just something that had to be done. Besides, why would I bother Daniel with petty details for a spread? If he's such a great editor-in-chief, but I am sure he'll have enough confidence in Alexis as well as myself to get the job done properly. They are suppose to work together whether Daniel's actually willing to accept that or not," Julie noted.

"That may be true, but I was under the impression that you were going to work with Daniel specifically," Betty reminded.

Out of habit, Julie tried to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, but she stopped herself and placed her hand on her hip instead.

"That may have been the case at some point, but you'll need to get together with your boss to discuss that issue. When I was hired to help _Mode_ with the Hollywood issue, I was under the impression that I would be working with both editors-in-chief."

"And I would have thought you would have understood the circumstances between Daniel and Alexis," Betty said with that all-knowing look that Julie didn't pick up on.

"I am sorry, but it's just something you'll have to talk to Daniel about since apparently, you and I were under false pretenses about the whole situation," Julie simply said.

Betty drew in a deep breath as she tried to piece together what Julie meant by what she had said. She knew that Julie had to have seen and sensed the tense between Daniel and Alexis during the editorial meeting among the other times that they had crossed paths in the office. It didn't make sense for Julie to have this change of heart about Daniel or the way she wanted to approach the Hollywood issue.

"I hate to cut this short, but I really need to get to my meeting with Alexis," Julie mentioned.

"Oh…okay," Betty said, still confused.

Betty had noticed that Daniel's eyes had been fixed on Julie since she approached her desk. Julie peered into his office and by the look on Daniel's face, it wasn't good. Without fail, his face tensed up and he began to loosen his tie. A smug smirk appeared on Julie's face.

Julie looked over at Betty with a satisfied smile. "Have a good day."

"Uh, thanks…you too?" Betty said awkwardly before she bit down on her lower lip.

With that, Julie was gone as quick as she appeared and with that, Betty wasn't going to hesitate to see what everything that just happened meant.

--

Daniel averted his attention away from Betty since he wasn't in the mood in the see that look in her eyes where she wanted to know what was going on. He really wanted this day to be over with even though it had just started.

He didn't want to come to _Mode _today, but for the sake of the Hollywood issue and with everything else that he had at stake, he put forth his best effort to focus on work today. Even though, he wasn't having much luck.

Lost in his thoughts, Daniel closed his eyes briefly, and once his eyes opened, he was surprised to see this woman with her hair pulled up standing at Betty's desk, talking to her. He couldn't help but smile especially when he realized that it was Julie talking to his assistant at her desk.

He watched her intently as she attempted to tuck some hair behind her ear like she usually would. He noticed the way she was dressed and the way her hair was, and he couldn't help but be impressed. Julie had managed to change up her appearance, and it drove him crazy.

The sight of Julie on the other side of the glass of Daniel's office made him feel better about the situation considering he thought he'd never see her again. He wasn't feeling as stressed as he did when he first walked into the office. Somehow just knowing that Julie hadn't given up on _Mode_ made him feel reassured that they would continue to work together and maybe resolve their problems.

Right when Daniel was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his demeanor changed from being remotely relieved to feeling bad if not worse than what he had ten minutes ago considering Julie's focus was no longer on Betty but was on him now. With the look on Julie's face, she was not happy to see him. Her eyes were narrow, and he could tell by the expression on her face that she didn't give a damn about him by any means. There were no feelings of empathy toward the younger Meade sibling.

Daniel gulped with uneasiness even though his throat had gone dry. His hand instinctively reached up to loosen his tie. He saw the smirk on Julie's face, and he did the best he could not to fall apart with her eyes fixed on him.

Once Julie had turned to leave Betty's desk, he exhaled sharply, thankful that she was gone. The look on her face broke his heart, and he regretted keeping his mouth shut.

Shortly after Julie's departure, Daniel saw Betty's eyes peered at him through one of the circle windows on his door. She knocked lightly three times before she made her entrance, not waiting on him to say it was okay or not for her to enter.

"Daniel, what's going on?" Betty asked with a look of concern as she closed the door behind her and came toward her boss' desk.

"What are you talking about, Betty?" Daniel asked, sheepishly.

Without fail, her eyes narrowed and she gave him her infamous all-knowing look.

"Don't give me that look." Daniel said weakly.

"Well, don't give me a reason to give it to you," she retorted. "What did you do to Julie? She's not the normal Julie we saw last week."

Daniel gulped as he looked up at his assistant. "Uh, I kind of had this bet about Julie with Becks…"

"A bet with Becks about Julie…why?" she asked, trying to piece the puzzle together.

"I haven't mentioned this before, but I've known Julie since the three of us went to college together," he meekly said.

"Oh, well, that explains some things…" she reasoned.

Betty took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Daniel's desk. She crossed her arms as she watched her boss across his desk.

"Okay so the bet was against my better judgment….okay, it was a bad idea all together," he corrected himself as he felt Betty's eyes burn into him. "Especially since Julie's always been the one who got away."

Daniel apprehensively explained to his assistant, but he knew he had to come clean to confidante, who wouldn't judge him even though she would probably yell at him, would somehow help him figure out a solution to the jam he was in.

"The one that got away?" She arched an eyebrow at him. "You know what? Never mind…I get what you mean, but why would risk it all now especially with everything at stake?"

"That's the thing," he chuckled nervously. "This bet kind of happened the night before Julie showed up here."

"And that's why you were all speechless when you saw her that morning. Ah, okay." Betty couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the memory. "Makes sense considering you lost for words when it comes to a beautiful woman highly unlikely."

"Yeah, well," Daniel said before he cleared his throat.

"So, basically, screwed yourself over as well as possibly the magazine was good idea because?"

"I know, I know…you don't have to remind me…it's just…I am not sure how to put it exactly. With the way she looked the night I saw her and how Becks was talking crap about how things were back in the day, I couldn't resist agreeing to the bet," he admitted.

"Daniel, I hate it when do things before you think. Do you realize how much damage you've done? It's one thing to have this stupid bet, but let me guess….she figured it out, didn't she?" She said as she ran the possible scenario in her head.

"Uh, you could say that…"

Betty let out a frustrated sigh. "You need to be thankful she didn't pull everything that she promised for the Hollywood issues. I mean, she's gone with Alexis for the men's cover, but other than that, you should thank your lucky stars that she's still in the building all together."

"I know, Betty." He groaned. "I just wish she would listen to me; let me explain myself especially with everything that's happened recently."

Daniel's eyes drifted toward the cover of Julie's draft proposal again, and he couldn't help but wonder how things would be like if he tried to talk to her again. Would she bother to listen or would she walk away without bothering to acknowledge the fact he still existed on the same planet as her? He was dying to know if he could have those much needed few minutes of her time to say what he needed to say. At this point, Daniel was pretty sure that he'd have to grovel shamelessly to Julie's liking.

_I guess, I deserve that,_ he noted in his mind.

"She's that awesome thing, you couldn't explain the other day?" She asked with a sigh.

"Uh, yeah…I told you it was complicated and everything. It's just…" he began.

"Even though, you've screwed up, you somehow managed to develop feelings for her during the course of your crazy yet incredible week?" Betty finished Daniel's thought.

Daniel dodged looking into Betty's eyes before he cleared his throat.

"Daniel…" Betty sighed.

"Okay…you win. Yeah, I did. I mean, you know how amazing Julie is, right?" he asked with a look of unease before Betty nodded.

"Aww, Daniel. That's sweet, but how could you!? She's probably the best thing you've ever had and then you go and screw it up?!"

Betty felt the need to stare at her boss with astonishment for the way he allowed things to turn out. She couldn't help but feel for him, but at the same time she couldn't hold back the need to give him the honest opinion he deserved.

"I know, Betty. It's just I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to come to you because it was my problem."

"And what do you call this now?"

"Uh, you asked me?" He shrugged.

"Daniel, what am I going to do with you?" Betty shook her head in disappointment. "Julie's done so much for you and this magazine in such a short amount of time. I can't say I blame her with the way you went about this, but why do you bring this upon yourself? You could have come clean and for all you know, she could have figured out a way to make it look like you won the bet."

"I didn't even think about it that way."

Betty threw her hands up as she got up from her chair. "Do I really have to comment to that?"

A silence fell between them as Daniel tried to figure out the best way of explaining this to his assistant. He cleared his throat as he remembered that Julie had always been different from all of the other women in his life. He pressed his lips together before he spoke.

"Okay, Betty, I get it. I screwed this up, but you have to give me credit. I did try to end this bet…actually, I did end this bet with Becks. Remember when I asked you to leave when we were in the conference room on Friday? It was to call off the bet with Becks, but I didn't get a chance to explain everything to Julie. She wouldn't let me."

"So, let me get this straight…you've been dating her for the past week and you didn't tell me?" Betty said, somewhat surprised.

"Well, that's kind of how Julie wanted it because she didn't feel comfortable having our relationship being known until after the Hollywood issue went to press," Daniel explained, hoping Betty would understand.

"That doesn't surprise me when it comes to Julie for some reason or another…" Betty shrugged before she snapped unexpectedly. "And you just had to make a stupid bet with Becks about sleeping with her…WHY?! What were you thinking?"

Once again that side of anger Betty managed to normally control came out, and she couldn't help but feel the need to yell at her friend for the crap he had pulled.

"I know…" he trailed off with a gulp. "It's just things have been going so well and for it to all blow up in my face now…doesn't make sense."

"You must admit that you brought this upon yourself, Daniel." She glared at him over the rim on her glasses with her arms still across her chest.

Daniel groaned softly as he sank into his chair since the look on his assistant's face made him squirm without fail.

"I don't get how this fell apart, Betty. I mean, I know she has to furious with me, but it's been so much more to me than some stupid bet."

"What are you trying to say?" She asked as she tilted her head slightly to look at Daniel as she tried to understand what he was he trying to imply.

"I don't know how to explain it. It's just there some many things that happened in the past week that isn't typically me. I mean, I spent every night with her for the past week, and all we did was talk and spend time together. It's kind of refreshing actually," Daniel confessed as he ran his hand along the back of his neck. "A lot of things happened during the past week, and I don't want it to end…not like this."

Betty's expression softened and she couldn't help, but not be mad at him over what he had said. "Are you saying that you love her? Is that it, Daniel?"

"I am not sure if this is how love feels. I mean, this is different from every other relationship I've had with a woman. I know, I said I was in love with Sofia, but this is different, Betty. I can't really explain it, but all I know is that I feel this unavoidable pain now that Julie's gone," Daniel said as best he could. He began to rub his hands together unintentionally as he let out a heavy sigh.

The assistant to the editor-in-chief couldn't help but give her boss a sympathetic smile with a sigh. "Daniel..." Betty frowned. "I don't like seeing you like this. I don't know which is worse…the way you were after the whole Sofia situation in your apartment where you're a total mess or when you're here, trying to put on a brave face while she's still on the same floor as you."

"It's just so much to deal with…I had everything one minute and it's all gone the next and I've been beside myself for the past two days. In all honesty, I have no idea how I managed to show up here today," he mentioned in a sad tone.

"Daniel…" Betty sighed. She was torn about everything herself considering Daniel had once again got himself into a bind, but at least he showed some remorse for his actions. "You finally get your life on track and you go back to your old habits and look where it got you. She's an amazing person and I can't believe you did this to her."

He nodded without saying much of anything else.

"Okay, you need to fix this. I mean, you made your bed and you need to lie in it, but she deserves to know the truth, Daniel. Julie's done so much for you and for you to do this to her, I can't say I blame her for not talking to you ever again, but your heart's in the right place, and I can't stand to see you like this."

A sigh escaped from his Daniel's lips. "She won't listen to me. She made that quite clear the other night."

Another one of Betty's pep talks were in order. She got up from her chair and started to pace back and forth in front of Daniel's desk.

"Make her listen! If you want it to happen, make it. You need to talk to her or you may regret it for the rest of your life. Besides, this whole mopey Daniel Meade doesn't fit you." She grinned at her boss. "You're obviously not the same guy you were in college and you need to make it quite clear to her that you weren't in it for a bet. Sure, it may have started out like that, but once it was said and done, you care more about her than whatever was at stake with your stupid bet."

"I guess you're right, Betty," he said with a shrug.

"Daniel, I know I am. She deserves the truth from the source, and you need to be open and honest with her or you won't have a chance in hell," she reassured.

"Why does crap like this happen to me?"

"…Because you somehow manage to let it happen. Daniel, you really need to have a better judgment call when it comes to stuff like this."

"But that's why you're here," he teased as a glimpse of the normal Daniel surfaced.

Betty rolled her eyes before a smile crept across her face. "In all honesty, you need to figure out a way to say you're sorry without your typical jewelry being the apology token. I know it seems like a good idea at the time, but change it up a bit. If she makes you feel differently from any of the others, then prove that to her."

"You think so?"

"Daniel…"

"Okay, I get the hint," he threw his hands up in the air defensively. "I'll figure something out. Besides, I need for her to talk to me again before I bother to get her something."

"You've got that right," she chuckled lightly to herself. "Just make her see that you mean what you say. All you have to do is tell her what you told me and things will work themselves out. She's a great person and I don't see her just shutting herself off to reason. Give her some time before you try to sway her and then go in and make your point."

Daniel shrugged as he tried to figure out the best way to go about the situation with a look of uneasiness on his face.

"Well as you ponder on how to get her back, I'll let you be and that's your goal for the rest of the day considering we really don't have a second issue to work on for the time being."

Daniel's eyes looked at his assistant as he flashed a weak smile.

_I guess I deserve that_, he thought to himself.

"By the way, Daniel, don't screw this up more than what you already have. Please think about this before you just jump in and try to fix it without taking into account all of your options. And right now, if I were you, I'd be thankful she didn't pull the men's spread and photo shoot to take to _Isabella_," Betty reminded with a reassured smile.

_Makes sense…_

And with that being said, Betty went back to her desk and left Daniel in a pool of his thoughts. At least now, Daniel Meade didn't feel like he was alone. He had cleared his chest to someone who cared about him, but it wasn't the same as coming clean to one person who needed and deserved to know the entire truth of the matter before it was too late.

--

Julie pushed through the doors to get to Alexis' office. Her assistant Nick Pepper sat at his desk and as soon as he noticed the publicist, he smiled smugly with a wink. His actions for some reason made Julie's stomach turn, and she couldn't help but groan softly to herself.

"Morning, Autumn," Nick said with a nod.

"Actually, it's Miss Madison to you," Julie said as she passed by him without much more of an acknowledgement.

Julie walked through Alexis' door with her usual briefcase and purse in tote. She set them down in one of her arm chairs before she approached the older Meade sibling's desk.

"Hello, Alexis," Julie said with a smile.

Julie Madison had to keep in mind that there would possibly be changes when working with the other Meade sibling. Daniel had been open to some of her ideas, and she wasn't sure about how open Alexis would be to her approach of this issue especially with the way Daniel had told her things about how Alex was in the past.

"Hi, Autumn, I am just thrilled that you are here to work with me on this issue," Alexis grinned with a look in her eyes that Julie wasn't sure of.

"Well, I keep my word when it comes to the commitment I made to this magazine," she before she cleared her throat.

"I've looked over what you've had planned for the men's cover and everything, but I'd like to tweak it some…to my liking, of course," Alexis mentioned nonchalantly as she had a copy of Julie's draft proposal open in front of her on her desk. "I mean, I appreciate the way you've mapped everything together, but it's obvious that Daniel is and will always be rough around the edges. He always had it in his mind that he's capable of being a true editor-in-chief, but I doubt he'll ever measure up to the high standards of a successful one."

For some reason, the tone of Alexis' voice as well as her diplomatic way of calling Daniel a screw up irked Julie more than she ever realized it could. She knew she should be mad at him, and she was, but it was the way Alexis felt the need to kick her brother now when he was down upset Julie. She remembered how Daniel had described their relationship, and she couldn't help but wonder why Daniel seemed to be the forgotten child even though Alexis was the golden one.

From what Julie could tell, Alexis may have known what she was doing in terms of being editor-in-chief, but when it came down to the older Meade sibling giving a damn about anyone else besides herself was highly unlikely. She knew Alexis was quite capable of running_ Mode_, but the fact of the matter was she only thought about what was best for herself.

Julie had to work with Alexis thanks to Daniel and his inability to be honest about something so trivial that shouldn't have matter to someone of his position. Somehow she had assumed the younger Meade would have grown up enough by now to realize when and if something sounded like a bad idea, but she had been proven wrong.

"If you feel the need to do so, then it's your decision," Julie quietly agreed.

She wanted the issues to be the best, but now that Daniel had screwed so much of everything up, Julie could only hope that somehow both issues would compliment each other, and Daniel's original issue for the women's spread would be left in tact.


	11. A Step in the Right Direction

**Author's note**: _Sorry for the delay. Work's been crazy lately since I took my new position, and my chapters are never short. I just finished this one up. Of course, I couldn't really wait to post it so if there are some grammar/spelling issues, look over them for the time being. By the way, I have something kind of random to bring up: if you want to participate in an Ugly Betty RPG, message me and I'll clue you in. I think it would be fun for all Ugly Betty fans in a creative way that's similar to fan fic. :) Anyways, onto the chapter and enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven  
**_A Step in the Right Direction_

Wednesday finally rolled around at _Mode_, and Daniel couldn't help, but wonder what he could to do to make Julie listen. He wanted a chance to talk to her, but he had no idea if she would be willing to listen.

Daniel had taken Betty's advice earlier in the week and spent the last couple of days thinking about how he could at least get Julie to listen to him. He wanted to tell her the truth like she deserved before he gave up on this particular woman from his past completely. He had caught sight of Julie during the course of the last two days after her meeting with Betty, but all he was left with was Julie being upholding her typical "Ice Princess" demeanor.

"Daniel, I am not sure if you are ready for this, but Julie's going to be leaving with Alexis soon for the men's photo shoot if you want to talk to her today," Betty informed as she stuck her head into her boss's office.

"Uh, thanks, Betty," Daniel weakly said with a nod as he could feel knots form in his stomach.

He was well-aware what Julie's schedule with Alexis was considering it was originally his own, but he was hoping that he would somehow get to Julie without his power-hungry sister around because he was sure that Alexis would tear into him with her snide comments if she had the chance especially with Julie around. He knew his sister wouldn't hold back regardless if she seemed unprofessional around a key player for _Mode_'s future.

His focus drifted back to the untouched draft proposal on his desk. A heavy sigh escaped from his lips. Daniel knew he had to gather up the courage to talk to her, to put forth the effort or he'd never make peace with himself about the whole situation.

He glanced down at his watch and noticed that soon Julie and Alexis would be heading out for the men's photo shoot. The Meade heir had been playing out the possible scenarios in his mind all morning about how she would be and what he would say to convince her to listen, but he was still iffy about how things would turn out. He had high hopes that Julie would give him the time of day he wanted, but he still had this sinking feeling in his gut that she'd start to laugh at him and walk away before he could get a word in edgewise.

_It's now or never_, he thought to himself as he got up from his chair behind his desk. The editor-in-chief ran his hands down his sleeves and tie before he grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. Daniel slipped his jacket on and buttoned it before he looked up to see Betty working at her desk.

He cleared his throat before he headed out the door of his office. Before he left to take care of what he needed to do, he looked over at his assistant with a small smile. Betty instinctively stopped what she was doing and looked up at her boss. She returned the gesture and mouthed "good luck" before Daniel was on his way.

He pulled at the cuffs of his sleeves nervously as he walked down the hallway around the corner past Betty's desk. Once Daniel reached the end of the hallway between his office and the receptionist's area, he heard Alexis and Nick talking about what needed to be done before the photo shoot.

"Nick, I need you to call Tim from the art department to make sure that everything is in order for the photo shoot before we leave so we can grab anything they may need before we head over there. I'd hate to make it over there, and then something was left behind here. That's the last thing we need to happen today," Alexis commanded in her usual way over her shoulder as Nick walked behind her with his normal pen and black portfolio in hand.

"I'll get right on it," Nick said without fail before he turned to go in the direction where the two of them had originally come from.

Once Alexis was coming closer to the circular reception desk, Daniel ducked out of sight back into the hallway, hoping his sister wouldn't notice him. Thankfully, he had gone unnoticed and once his sister was out of sight, he headed toward where he assumed Julie would be if she hadn't left already.

The doors between Alexis's office and the rest of _Mode_ swung open as Nick was talking on his Bluetooth to whoever it was he was talking to, and he paid no attention to the rightful editor-in-chief of the magazine.

After Nick passed by, Daniel went over to the door before it closed and propped it open to look into Alexis' territory. He noticed Julie was still in her sister's office. She had just gotten off the phone before she placed it into her purse. The publicist had grabbed her purse before she would make her exit.

Julie really wasn't paying attention to her surroundings once she threw her purse over her shoulder. She just wanted to get to the photo shoot so she could ensure that the photographer would take some shots that were appropriate to her liking more so than Alexis'.

The door closed behind Daniel as he cautiously waited to face Julie for the first time since their falling out on the Friday before. As soon as Julie stepped out of Alexis' office, Daniel's eyes met hers. He flashed her a weak smile, and Julie just watched him carefully. There was this silence between them, and this time it wasn't so comfortable.

"Daniel--Mr. Meade," Julie cleared her throat before she looked over his shoulder at the door behind him. "You and I have nothing to talk about."

"Julie…please…we have a lot to talk about," he insisted.

"Why should I even bother considering you've managed to say all I needed to hear?…More like lack there of," Julie scolded.

Julie paused briefly, waiting to see if Daniel had anything to say. When there was no reply, she brushed passed the bewildered editor-in-chief and went through the door to the rest of the _Mode_ floor.

Daniel sighed heavily before he followed her out the door.

"Julie…Autumn, please…," he began to plead as he followed her closely behind.

Before Julie knew it, Daniel had grabbed her around her upper arm, and he guided her back through the hall close to his office. Instead of taking her back to his office, he took her into the conference room. After the doors closed behind them, Daniel let go of her.

"I don't have time for this, Daniel. I am due at the photo shoot within the hour, and you and I have nothing left to say to each other," Julie mentioned coldly as she tried to exit out of the room, resisting the urge to slap him.

Julie had enough sense not to cause a scene at Daniel's work place. It was bad enough he had offended her in more ways than one, but having everyone else know about their relationship, escapade, fling…whatever it seemed to be was not what she or Daniel needed for the time being. No one else needed to know about it.

"You may not have anything else to say, but I do. Julie, I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be, but you deserve to know everything…the God's honest truth."

Julie laughed lightly to herself. "And you expect me to believe that? You really think I am that stupid to bother with this yet again?"

"Julie…Jules. I am not kidding; I have so much to tell you. I really do…it's just I am not good about talking about my feelings. This is so hard for me to talk about this…whatever _this _is," Daniel sighed.

Julie moistened her lips before she spoke. "As much as you're trying to convince me that there is more to this than what I've already seen, you haven't proven your point, and I am not sure why I am still here."

The expression on Daniel's face was a mixture of desperation and sadness. He saw the look on Julie's face. Her jaw was clenched slightly as she stared at him with pain in her eyes. He wanted to touch her and kiss her and somehow prove to her that he was being honest about everything at stake.

"Julie, please listen to me. I know I screwed up. You've done so much for this magazine and for me in the past week. We have this connection and attraction to one another…you can't deny that," Daniel mentioned, hoping she would say something else besides giving him the cold shoulder.

Julie only stared at him, without offering anything to go on, but she didn't move. She stood there in front of him, and there wasn't much change when it came to the look on her face.

Daniel saw her silence and lack of movement as a good sign that maybe she would stay to listen to him. He was saying a quiet prayer to himself, hoping that he could somehow convince her to stay.

"I know you've got a busy schedule with Alexis and the men's spread. Quite frankly, I guess I should be thankful you didn't pull everything all together," he chuckled nervously. "Can we get together to talk? Just talk…no strings attached. Please?"

"As much as _you _would want that right now, I don't think so…" Julie said softly, shaking her head slightly. "The damage is done. Your bet…it broke my heart. You did the one thing I hoped you'd never do..."

Julie's eyes briefly looked up at Daniel's. It was the first time she looked at him without anger behind her eyes. He saw a glimpse into the pain that Julie didn't want to surface.

"I miss you…," Daniel said in a hushed tone. "…more than I ever thought I could."

Julie dodged looking at Daniel's face. As much as he wanted to see how hurt he was, she didn't want to deal with this, not right now under these circumstances.

"I've got to go," Julie said quickly before she left Daniel behind in the empty conference room.

--

"Daniel?" Betty asked as she slowly opened the conference room door once Julie was out of sight.

"I don't want to talk about it, Betty," he said as he now sat in a chair at the round table. "It's over."

"Daniel…" Betty said quietly, "No, it's not. You know it isn't."

"Yes, it is. She got out of here as quick as she could."

Betty sighed heavily. "That's not what I saw," she observed.

"Don't you get it, Betty? Julie Madison is done with me. She wants nothing more to do with me."

"I think there's more there than you know. I saw the way she looked at you. Daniel, have you ever thought she had to leave just so she couldn't see the pain you were in? I know, you said she had this tendency to be a bitch from time to time in college and all, but she's probably changed too."

"And she has every right to go back to way she was in college. I went back to being that jerk everyone expects me to be."

"Daniel..." Betty began as she crossed her arms. "I am not even going to bother to say it because I am sure you know what I am thinking."

"You're this great guy and blah, blah, blah. I know you mean well, Betty, but you don't know Julie like I do. She's pretty head-strong, and I don't see her changing her mind about me being an arrogant jerk anytime soon."

"Why don't I talk to her?" Betty blurted out without giving it much thought. "I mean, the only way I'll understand Julie better is if I talk to her. Who knows about how much you've changed more than I do? Daniel, it's worth a shot."

"I couldn't ask you to do that for me."

"Daniel, you didn't. I offered. Besides it'd be nice to get to know her. She could teach me some stuff that could be useful down the road. She's got a good head on her shoulders and from what I can tell so far, she's done you a world of good. It'd be nice to get to know someone who isn't superficial like people are here."

"Uh, I don't know, Betty. I am sure she's made up her mind about what she thinks of me. You didn't see the way she looked at me that night."

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad. She can't be that mad besides she's had to of cooled off some since the last time the two of you talked."

"Well, she was civil in the conference room…' Daniel quietly reasoned with a shrug.

"Okay, well, that's a step in the right direction. Like I said, let me try to talk to her…reason with her. I'll take care of it. Don't worry about it. What harm could I do?"

"Um…I am not so sure about this."

"So, you aren't sure about this, but when it comes to making that bet with Becks in the first place, that was a good idea?"

All Daniel could do was look at his assistant without much else to say considering he knew Betty was right.

"I guess, Betty," he conceded quietly, "Julie can be a piece of work…I do hope you realize this."

"Let me take care of this, Daniel," Betty reassured. "You may be the last person she wants to see, but I am sure I can reason with her."

Before Daniel had a chance to object, Betty went over to the phone in the conference room and began to dial a number. Daniel watched her intently as she stood there with the phone in her hand. Betty glanced over at her boss, but hung the phone up after a single ring.

"Don't you have an ad meeting at one?"

"Maybe, if I still ran this magazine," Daniel shrugged.

"Daniel…you do. Your name is on the masthead, and you do still share _Mode_ with your sister regardless if your sister is willing to accept this or not. Besides, it's the way your mother wants it."

Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but with the all-knowing look on Betty's face, he decided against saying much of anything else. He looked down at his watch and sure enough it was getting closer to one and Daniel had no choice, but to attend. He was sure his sister forgot about the meeting considering she had her "own" cover to put together.

"Why don't you sit tight? I am sure they'll be on their way in shortly," Betty grinned. "Besides, this will give me some time to get some paperwork together. If you need me, you know where to find me."

Betty flashed her boss a much needed smile before she turned and headed out of the conference room to go back to her desk.

Upon Betty's arrival at her desk, she sighed heavily as she took a seat in her chair. She knew she had to help Daniel with the mess he had gotten himself into. The only logical way of making sense of everything was to talk to Julie about it. She could only hope that the publicist would be as open and nice to her like she was when Julie and Daniel were still talking to each other before everything unraveled.

The assistant to the editor-in-chief picked up the phone and carefully dialed a number that Julie had left with her if she ever needed to get in touch with her if she was away from the office. Betty sighed into the phone softly as the phone rang.

After the third ring, a voice answered.

"Hello, Ju—Autumn Madison."

"Hey, it's uh…Betty," she said nervously.

"Oh, hey, Betty." Julie replied warmly.

"I know you must be busy, but I know we haven't had a chance to talk much lately. It's just…I'd like to get together sometime…if it's okay with you." Betty did the best she could as she fumbled through what she was trying to say.

"Um…well, I'm in the middle of this photo shoot with Alexis for the men's spread, and she's not as easy to work with like the other Meade sibling who shall remain nameless," Julie referenced as she took a step back from the photo shoot where Alexis was telling the photographer how she wanted things done.

For some reason, Betty couldn't help but chuckle softly at Julie's comment about Daniel, but she knew better than to signal to Julie about her dismay about the differences between the Meade siblings.

"Yeah, well, I know with everything going on, you are going to need to take a breather from everything. So, let's get together sometime like tonight…would that be good for you?" Betty asked with a hopeful tone.

"Uh, I am not sure," Julie sighed.

"Come on…you know you want to. It'd be nice to get together away from _Mode,_ and you wouldn't have to worry about work," Betty grinned.

"Well, I do wish you and I could get to know each other better, Betty. I miss the way you'd actually talk to me without passing judgment or looking at me like an outsider."

"That's what I am here for," she reminded.

"How do you do it every single day?" Julie sighed.

"It hasn't been easy. Believe me, everyone's pretty much tested my integrity, but I've managed to hold my own. You'll get used to people like Marc and Amanda as crazy as that must sound now," Betty chuckled.

"Okay, Betty Suarez, you've convinced me that dinner with a friend is a good idea. I'll call you later once this chaos is over, and then we'll get together tonight, okay?"

"That's great. I can't wait."

"Alright; well, let me get back to work, and I'll see you tonight. Bye"

"Okay, bye."

Betty placed the receiver back on the base and let out a satisfied sigh, knowing that she's going to do Daniel the biggest favor imaginable in terms of repairing whatever it is he and Julie had together.

She stared into her boss' empty office and couldn't help but think about how she was going to get them back to talking where Julie wasn't giving him evil stares, and Daniel wasn't feeling the need to hide under his desk.

The out-of-place _Mode_ girl sighed as she fell back into her chair. _Tonight's going to be interesting._

--

The long day at _Mode _was finally winding down as Betty made her way into Daniel's office. She paused at the door before she made her entrance. She watched her boss quietly as he sat behind his desk working on some paperwork that he had been working on for the past thirty minutes or so. She knocked lightly on the door frame.

"I see you're starting to go back to being your old self," she observed with a smile before she walked into room.

"Hey, Betty," Daniel said before he looked up from his paperwork. "Well, it hasn't been easy, but I am working on it. Besides, sulking about my troubles isn't going to get me much of anywhere."

She walked over to her friend's desk before she sat in one of the orange chairs. She continued to watch him quietly as she noticed he was making some notes on some paperwork from his earlier ad meeting.

"I can't stop my life because I didn't get my way on something," Daniel sighed as he put down his pen and looked up at his assistant with a small smile on his face.

He knew better than to sit around and fester about something for a long period of time. His assistant had taught him that. Daniel knew that there was some unfinished business when it came to his relationship with Julie, but he wasn't going to let it affect his work. If he just sat around and did nothing, _Mode_ would be pulled out from under him all thanks to his sister Alexis. He knew better than to let something like that happen.

He knew his father had always had this impression about his younger son being the one who wouldn't amount to anything, and there were times where Daniel wanted to agree with that more than proving himself to everyone, but through this whole ordeal, he knew he had to verify it to himself (if no one else with the exception of Betty) that he could get through this dilemma. If Bradford only knew that his son had somehow screwed up one of the most important assets to _Mode _as well as Meade Publications had to get any celebrity they needed, he knew his father would not only give him one of the longest lectures of his life, but he knew that somehow Bradford would be more than willing to hand over the reigns to Wilhelmina. Daniel refused to let that happen so in time he would make peace and apologize to Julie, but right now he had to make sure his life would continue to run smoothly for the time being.

"Well, that's the spirit," Betty commended as she flashed him a full smile.

"I can't let the world pass me by. If I do that, Alexis or better yet Wilhelmina will be running _Mode,_ and we can't have that."

Betty was surprised by Daniel's newfound confidence about the situation.

"It's nice to see you in a better mood. I am glad you finally decided to pull yourself together," she mentioned.

"I am not sure what it was, Betty, but it's like something hit me. I need to ensure everything is running smoothly before I let someone or something ruin it. I know I need to make right with Julie, but I want her to fit into the grand scheme of things instead of building things up around her because if she…we fail together then I am left with this pile of mess, and there's much more to Daniel Meade than just her."

Betty's eyes widened slightly as she was surprised to hear what her boss was saying to her. "And when did you come to this conclusion?"

"I thought about it during the ad meeting, and it was like something just clicked," he shrugged. "I am not sure what happened, but pulling myself together may even bring Julie back to me…who knows?"

"It could. You never know," Betty cleared her throat. "Well, is that it for the day, Daniel?"

"I am thinking that it will be it, Betty."

"Okay, good. It's just I'm having dinner with a friend of mine whom I haven't seen much of lately considering she's been rather busy…more like wrapped up in what she does."

Daniel looked over at his assistant with an inquiring look. "And where are you going with this?"

"It's…oh, I don't know. It's just it could play a huge part on helping you put the pieces together in order to form a clearer picture about everything?" Betty said as she tried to sound vague and descriptive, but it more so came across in a different way than she had anticipated.

"Okay…now I am confused."

"Daniel, don't you get it?" Betty let out a frustrated sigh. "This_ has_ to be a Meade trait." She laughed to herself before she continued. "Tonight I am having dinner with the most important person in your life right now."

"You're having dinner with my mother?" Daniel's voice changed slightly.

"No, you're_ so_ bad at this. Julie, Daniel…I'm having dinner with Autumn Julie Madison. You know, if you hadn't kept her to yourself this whole time, maybe you'd be ahead of the game right now."

"So, maybe you're right."

Betty cleared her throat and stared at her boss.

"Yeah, you're right, okay?" Daniel conceded.

She nodded. "You should be thankful that Julie's willing to talk to me considering I am your assistant, and she didn't see this as a ploy for you," Betty observed.

Daniel couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was thankful that Betty was willing to talk to Julie about them or at least do the best she could so Daniel would have a better idea where he stood with the woman from his past.

"Thank you, Betty," Daniel smiled.

"Like I've told you before, Daniel, this is how things are when you have me as your friend. I try to help you out in the best way I know how," she reassured him. "And if you have nothing else for me to do, I'd like to go ahead and get ready for my evening with Julie."

"I've got some loose ends to tight up here before I head out for the day, but you're welcome to go."

"Alright," Betty said as she headed toward the door. "All I ask is that you don't call me every ten minutes to see how my evening is going, okay?" She mentioned as she turned back to look at her boss.

"I won't," Daniel simply said.

"You promise?"

"Sure."

"Daniel…."

"Okay, I promise."

Betty shook her head with a chuckle. "We'll see about that, Daniel Meade." She started to giggle. "Have a good night."

"Enjoy your evening with Miss Madison," Daniel brightly smiled.

The two of them exchanged smiles briefly before Betty turned to leave Daniel's office.

"And no, Daniel, I am not going to call you after I get done with Julie. You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Hey, I didn't say anything."

"Sure, but you can't say you weren't thinking it," Betty laughed. "Bye, Daniel."

"Bye, Betty," Daniel called out with a sigh.

--

Betty's evening with Julie has been remarkably pleasure and enjoyable. They spent their evening at a corner café close to the Meade Publications building. The two of them dished about how it was to work at _Mode_. Julie was truly amazed by the way Betty could hold her own on at fashion magazine even though she was evidently different from everyone else. The two of them spent the majority of their evening sharing laughs and somehow becoming (as Daniel would see it) unexpected friends.

"You've surprised me, Betty…in more ways than one," Julie said as she swirled her glass of wine gently before she took a long sip.

"What do you mean?" Betty chuckled.

"It's just with the way you are. I mean, I hated how people are so superficial at _Mode_. I mean, I'm no fashionista, but with the way certain people would look at me. I felt like I walked in wearing a burlap bag or something," Julie observed with a sigh.

"You know, that's actually all the rage in some cases," Betty said with a huge smile on her face.

"Okay, so you have a point there. More so like I have out-of-date fashion taste or something? I am not quite sure," the publicist shrugged, knowing fashion was not suppose to be her strongest suit no matter people like Marc or Amanda thought.

"I wouldn't worry too much with Amanda. She lives and breathes making people's lives miserable in some form. Believe me, I can attest to that," Betty grinned.

"Yeah, is there something up with Amanda where Daniel's concerned or is be a total bitch just a part of the total package?" Julie said with a chuckle.

"Uh, with Amanda, there's no telling," Betty said behind a shrug, "but I wouldn't worry with her or Marc. If anything, those two should be thankful about you getting _Mode_ the exclusive party at Prague considering the party for the Hollywood issue is going to huge. They really haven't shut up about it since Monday when I spent out that memo."

Julie rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Yeah, I figured it be the perfect place where _Mode _and Prague could benefit from the exposure they get from this party," the publicist mentioned.

Julie rested her arm on the back of her chair as she silently watched Betty. She pressed her lips together before she brought her glass up to her lips and took a brief sip before she set her glass back down on the table. She looked over at her companion across the table and she felt like there was more to their evening than just unwinding from work.

"Betty, tonight's been wonderful, but why do I have a feeling that there more behind this dinner than the two of us chatting about life and work?"

"So…you figured it out huh?" Betty said nervously as a sigh escaped from her lips.

The assistant to _Mode_'s editor-in-chief shifted her weight in her chair while she bit down on her bottom lip. She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose before she cleared her throat. She nervously glanced down at her glass of wine. Her hand reached out toward the glass before she lightly ran her fingertips along its base.

Julie gave Betty a warm smile. "Well, during the course of the evening, you've always managed to get the conversation back to Daniel somehow so it just kind of came to light," she shrugged.

"Yeah, I've been hoping if we talked about Daniel long enough in a positive light, you'd see how much of a great guy he is even though he has his flaws," Betty offered before she took a much needed sip from her glass.

"I know he does, Betty. Everyone does, but I thought we were past the point of having to be childish about stupid bets and toying with other people's emotions," Julie said as she looked at her dinner companion with slight sadness in her eyes. "I would assume he's told you everything?"

Betty nodded without saying a word. "I don't think you get it, Julie. There's so much more to this than Daniel being an idiot when it comes some stupid bet he has with Becks." She shook her head. "I hate it when Daniel does or says things before he thinks."

"Well, I am glad someone does considering he really hurt me by making that brainless bet about sleeping with me. I am not stupid. I knew about them having that bet in college, but now? Years later where Daniel and I have established careers where bets like that shouldn't matter anymore, I don't get it."

"I don't know what Daniel was thinking when he made the bet, but I will say that after everything ended for the two of you, he's been sad."

"Sad?" Julie couldn't help but laugh at the thought, "I am sorry, Betty, but why would I matter to Daniel Meade? Sure, he lost his mindless bet, but when it comes down to it, sadness…I can't exactly picture Daniel 'Playboy' Meade sulking over me? Yeah, right."

"People change, Julie," she pointed out. "Daniel's grown a lot in the past several months, but he has his weak moments obviously, but he's um, working on that. I am not exactly sure how things ended that night, but I will say getting at least a half a dozen calls from Daniel during the course of the weekend where it rang once, and then he hung up before I could answer…that was a definite red flag. Besides, you didn't see him Monday morning once he finally began to talk to me."

Betty sighed softly as she looked back at the way Daniel sat behind his desk all quiet and alone, wanting to be closed off from the rest of the world.

She continued on, "Do you realize how weird it is for Daniel to have no desire to talk to me? And if I can be frank about the situation, I am not sure which is worse the way he was after the Sofia situation where Daniel hid out in his apartment for two weeks or the way he attempted to come to work on Monday, trying to be all…unaffected by the way things ended. In all honesty, once you came by and left on Monday, Daniel crumbled."

Julie's eyes widened as she listened to Betty's tale. _Daniel Meade crumbled? How was that possible? _

"Really?" Julie asked quietly as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

Betty nodded. "He's been miserable for the past few days. You weren't there when he was trying to tell how he feels about you. I mean, I know that kinda sounds bad by the way I just described it, but he couldn't describe it. He told me he feels differently about you than he has with anyone else even Sofia. Julie, don't you get it? You're more to him than any stupid bet he'll ever have with Becks."

Betty managed to get out. She knew she wasn't talking to Daniel, and Julie more than likely wasn't used to Betty and the way she had this tendency to just come out and say things, but in this instance, she couldn't help it, but to be honest about the truth.

"It wasn't until this afternoon that Daniel finally started to snap out of the funk he's been in. He wants to talk to you about everything, to explain himself if you'll actually let him because that's how much you mean to him. Daniel's not perfect, but he working on becoming a better person," Betty smiled.

"Um, wow…" Julie managed to get out.

She had to take in all that Betty had said. Why had Julie closed herself off to Daniel like she did? She had always had this soft spot for Daniel, but when it came down to it, why did she walk away without giving him much of a chance to speak?

She looked back at the way he looked at her in the conference room earlier in the day, and when it came down to it, she couldn't look into his eyes with the way he had exposed himself to her with the hurt in his eyes. Julie could see that Daniel needed to say something, but all she did was push him away, and a part of her hated herself for that. Daniel Meade was trying to be a descent human being and all Julie Madison wanted to do was to run away from him. He had hurt her in a way that broke her heart, but not giving Daniel to explain himself was selfish, and she knew that.

"I know this is a lot to process, but when it comes down to Daniel, if you don't believe me when it comes to the way he is with you, then at least keep in mind with the way he is with Alexis especially with the way she is with him. I know you were upset when you went to Alexis about the second spread for the Hollywood issue, but please keep in mind that if it were up to Alexis, she'd screw Daniel over in a heart beat. I know they are family and family is suppose to mean something, but now that Bradford has chosen Daniel to be the new found favorite, I wouldn't put it pass Alexis to screw him over in the end," Betty explained. "Daniel's done so much to make Alexis feel like she's still a part of their family, but something tells me that if the opportunity popped up, she'll do what she can to make her brother miserable."

"Is their relationship that bad? I mean, I know Daniel's talked about it before and I've seen how Alexis is toward him, but would she really be that cruel?" Julie asked sheepishly as she looked back on how things were between the Meade siblings from what had seen and the way they had talked about each other.

Daniel's side of it was enduring considering he had spent most of his time trying to make up for his father's short comings and the way he tried to make peace between them, and Alexis would rather see Daniel fail from what Julie could tell. It was like this unforeseen anger began to build in Julie about Alexis and she couldn't help but feel the urge to give Alexis a piece of her mind and she'd be damned to let someone like Alexis make a fool of when it came to anyone especially Daniel.

"Daniel's tried to make up for things. He really has. Let me give you an example," Betty said as she leaned over to where her purse was. She began to dig through her purse. "I know I brought it with me. I made a point to bring it with me," she said out loud to herself.

Once Betty found what she was looking for, she pulled out this folded sheet of paper and handed it to Julie. She watched on as Julie unfolded the sheet of paper and began to read.

_He ain't heavy, she's my brother_

_The great return of Alexis Meade is a story that has been played out enough in the media so I won't go into all the details here, but I will admit that I didn't welcome my brother back at first partly because I wasn't used to seeing him in a satin pump; mostly, because when he went away, it broke my heart. So I was mad, but when I looked past my anger and his makeup, I realized I was happy to have him back. I missed him so much. I should say her--I missed her so much. She's family, and it's family that will keep this magazine going in personal crisis. It's family that gets you through everything. So, welcome back Alexis, thanks to you, I'm no longer alone. _

Julie drew in a deep breath as she read Daniel's letter. She hadn't expected Daniel to be so open about how he felt about his sister especially to the readers of _Mode _magazine, but it was another reason why Julie had this soft spot for the playboy Meade because she figured there was more to him than the smooth-talking charmer he wanted people to see.

"Well, Betty…this is powerful stuff," Julie said softly. "I wish Daniel would show this side of himself more."

Julie sat there and stared silently at the page of Daniel's words. She read over them again and couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness behind what he had say. The woman from his past remembered how Daniel would bring up how things were between him and Alex before everything changed and the way Alex came back as Alexis. Julie knew he had struggled with that, but as she thought about how Alexis jumped at the chance to tell her about the bet. Something in her gut told her not to believe what his sister had said about how she had tried to get him to confess while contrary to what Alexis wanted her to believe, Daniel made it quite clear that the closeness the two of them once shared deteriorated when Alex faked his death.

"I know I've been stubborn about Daniel. It's just a part of who I am, but somehow Betty Suarez, you've managed to get me to be more open about this being just about a bet. And if I am being honest, the last couple of days, where Daniel hasn't been a part of my life, it hasn't been easy," Julie said with a small shrug. "Alexis isn't the easiest person to work with. Sometimes I wonder if the two of them are actually related." She chuckled to herself at her little joke.

Betty smiled at her and couldn't help but chuckle herself. Betty was thankful that Julie hadn't shut her out like she had with Daniel. She could tell that the woman sitting across the table from her cared about Daniel in a way where she was sure that it didn't matter to Julie about what people saw her friend as.

"In a way, I can't say I would blame you for being upset especially with the way Daniel was toward me when I was first hired to work as his assistant. He was a jerk about a lot of things, but once he had taken into account how stupid he was, he apologized and we've been close ever since," Betty mentioned.

"Oh…I didn't know." Julie said sheepishly unaware of the way Daniel used to be.

"Believe me, Julie; if anyone can vouch for the way Daniel's grown up in the past six months, it would have to be me. Like I said before, he's working on becoming a better person. He still has his flaws, but he's trying the best so he can to strive to become a descent guy."

Julie closed her eyes briefly before they fluttered open to look at Betty. She sighed before she spoke. "Here's the deal, Betty. For all Daniel knows, it was by some miracle of God that you got me to agree to hear him out," Julie chuckled softly. "I know I set up that party at Prague for tomorrow night so I'll talk to Daniel there. Granted, it's not the best place to have an in-depth conversation, but if I can get him to leave the party after he makes his rounds, we'll talk. I'd like to see how Mr. Meade's going to handle this turn of events."

Betty's face brightened as she flashed Julie a smile where she exposed all of her braces. "You won't be sorry, Julie. I promise."

"I do hope you're right. I know Daniel's always been a follower, but it's times like this where he has to prove himself to break out his shell as corny as that may sound and become the person he is meant to be." Julie shared the ambitions she had for Daniel. Somehow it was fitting to say even though it seemed out of place to mention it now. She watched the way Betty looked at her after she made such a statement, and Julie noticed that Betty appreciated the fact someone else shared her sentiments.

Betty nodded as she listened to what the publicist from Hollywood had to say. "It's refreshing to know that someone else feels the same way I do when it comes to Daniel. There's more to him than just his charm and his looks."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't be Daniel if he didn't have those though," Julie giggled softly. "But anyway, I just hope you're right about everything because if I don't feel comfortable about this, I'll disappear as fast as I appeared."

"I figured that's how things would be with you, Julie. And quite frankly, I can't say I blame you under the circumstances, but this is different. He's not the same Daniel Meade you would have expected when you two were in college. He's not the same shallow Daniel he used to be," Betty reminded as she leaned forward against her folded arms.

"If you say so, but I am sure I'll figure it out for myself," Julie said as she glanced down at the table and noticed Daniel's letter again.

The girls continued to enjoy the rest of the evening together. Their evening had been productive and somehow Betty felt like she should call Daniel to give him the scoop once her evening with Julie was done, but since she made him promise not to call, she wouldn't want either one of them to break their word.


	12. A Long Day for the Meades

**Author's Note: **_Long time no update…I know, I want to apologize for that considering I totally didn't plan on not updating my story in over a month's time. I hope I haven't lost some of my readers when it comes to the lack of an update. I never thought I'd go this long without an update, but the point is now that I am. :) Also, when it comes to reviews, constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated even but flamers who can't spell aren't. From now on, anonymous reviews have been disabled. With all of that being said, keep in mind to look over all of the grammatical issues for the time being. They will be looked at and corrected in due time. Once again, sorry for the wait and enjoy chapter 12! :) _

* * *

**Chapter Twelve  
**_A Long Day for the Meades_

"Marc, what am I going to wear to Prague tonight? I mean, this party for the Hollywood issue is like one of _the_ social events of the season," Amanda mentioned with excitement as she sat in her chair behind the circular receptionist desk at _Mode_.

"Mandy, I know. I am not sure how that Hollywood publicist woman did it," Marc gestured with his hands. "I mean, Prague is like the hottest club in the city and _Mode _somehow got the first exclusive party there."

"Oh, please, she's probably some skank who manages to get what she wants by making promises she'll more than likely never keep," Amanda observed as she examined her nails.

"Autumn…whatever her name is. I don't know what Daniel and Alexis see in her. She's just another woman in the city that Daniel's probably already slept with. I mean, I don't see what's so great about her."

"Well, she did get us Johnny Depp and George Clooney," she giggled.

"Um, Mandy, they're old. They're like vintage hot or retro chic."

"Oh, shut up, Marc. You're just bitter she didn't get someone like Matt Damon for the cover," Amanda said before she looked at him. "It doesn't matter how this happened, this is Prague. What do you wear to Prague? I haven't eaten a thing since Monday when we got that memo, but I need something to wear. I saw those shoes from the new Gucci line in the closet the other day, and I would kill to wear those to the party. I mean, I'd only be borrowing them…for now anyway."

Before Marc had a chance to respond, he noticed a certain frumpy assistant walk by in her typical out-of-place attire. "It looks like someone rolled out of bed and came to work this morning," he observed as he noticed Betty in one of her normal outfits.

"What threw up on your shirt, Betty?" Amanda asked with disgusted as Betty walked by the large desk.

"Good morning, you two." Betty managed to say as she rolled her eyes without responding to their comments. "The Prague party is tonight. I assume you'll dress to impress?"

"We will, but I don't know what to say when it comes to you," Amanda said as she gave Betty a look of repulsion before she returned her attention to her partner in crime. "Marc…what I am going to wear?"

Betty heard _Mode_'s receptionist whine as she made her way down the hall to her desk in front of Daniel's office.

The assistant to the editor-in-chief let out a heavy sigh as she placed her purse on her desk before she heard someone clear their throat.

Betty jumped. "Oh Daniel!" She gasped as she saw him standing in his doorway with his arms crossed, waiting for her.

Daniel chuckled softly to himself as he leaned against the door frame. "Sorry, Betty."

"You just made me lose like ten years of my life," she said as she tried to catch her breath. "Don't do that again…wait a minute, why are you here before me?" Betty gave her boss a curious look before she sat in her chair.

"Well, we've got a long day today, and I just thought if I got an earlier start that it would end earlier," Daniel shrugged. "I mean, the book is getting closer and closer to being ready to go to press and since I am editor-in-chief of this magazine, I need to be here."

"Are you sure this doesn't involve the fact that I had an interesting dinner with a certain publicist from your past that plays this huge part of your life? That doesn't mean anything at all?"

"Not really," Daniel lied as his eyes drifted to the floor briefly before his attention returned to his assistant. "Maybe a little," he conceded before she had a chance to counter his response. "And how was it?"

"I said it was interesting, Daniel. Julie's got a level head on her shoulders. She and I could become the best of friends. She's pretty cool if I do say so myself," Betty grinned.

"Yeah, when she wants to be…but I guess she doesn't have a reason to hate you unless it's because you work for me."

"Daniel, she's just hurt by the way you went about the entire situation. If you'd think before you did half--the majority of the bone-headed ideas you've come up with, you wouldn't have to worry with crap like this," she reminded.

Daniel groaned at what Betty had said. "I think I've learned my lesson."

"Yeah, we'll see about that. I will say that it did take some...you know what? Make that a lot of convincing on my part. Believe it or not, you're a tough sale to this woman." She mentioned as she felt a chuckle build up in her throat but she managed to contain it per Miss Madison's request. "Somehow Julie agreed that she would be willing to listen to what you have to say tonight whether it be during the party at Prague or after. I just got her to agree…the rest is up to you and the way you handle this."

Daniel stared at his assistant blankly once she closed her mouth. It was as if he couldn't figure out what to say or how to thank his friend for the work she had done for him. This was different from her typical "find out where I left my watch" or "being in charge of the baby Chutney spread". Betty had managed to pull off what seemed like a miracle for her boss and for that, Daniel was grateful.

"Betty…thank you," Daniel simply said, still trying to process and figure out how she managed to convince the "Ice Princess" that the womanizing playboy deserved a second chance.

"You're welcome, Daniel," Betty looked at her boss before she began checking her e-mail at her computer.

Daniel started to head back into his office, but before he could, Betty called out to him.

"And Daniel?" Betty said as she leaned over to the side of her desk to look into her boss' office.

"Yes, Betty?" He said as he stopped in tracks and turned back to look at her.

"Don't screw this up. I like Julie, and you two deserve an honest chance," she offered with one of her full smiles.

"I'll do my best not to."

--

Julie had a productive morning of looking over the article for the men's spread of the Hollywood issue. Alexis had Nick e-mail it to her, and by the looks of things, the book with the men's spread would be shipped off to the printer by the end of the week if things went according to plan.

She had managed to get some buzz of the Hollywood issues mentioned in the New York newspapers this morning. The publicist wanted to ensure that there was plenty of talk around the party and these particular issues. She could only hope that Daniel and Alexis could get along long enough for the press especially since she managed to turn the tension between them as good press saying that both Meade siblings wanted to use their own approach with their own issue. From what she could tell, both issues would compliment each other, and _Mode_'s readers would not be disappointed.

With everything going on, Julie had made an appointment to meet up with one person that no one really expected or anticipated her to. She had planned to have a meeting the backbone of the Meade family and _Mode_ magazine whether or not people gave her the credit she honestly deserved. It was only fitting that the publicist felt obligated in meeting the woman behind everything. Julie had heard about Claire Meade and the way she was, but she had to see for herself.

Julie walked into the crowded restaurant with her usual handbag in tote. She followed the waiter to her table, and there she was, Claire Meade in her typical Chanel beige ensemble looking elegant in her typical Meade fashion. She thanked the waiter after she placed her drink order and walked over to their table.

"Who are you?" Claire said with slight disgust as she noticed Julie walking toward her while she sat at a table in one of her favorite restaurants.

"Um, aren't you the owner of _Mode_ magazine?" Julie asked quietly as she became somewhat nervous now that she and Claire had made eye contact.

"And who wants to know?" Claire asked suspiciously as she leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed.

"I am the one who called to have this meeting with you," Julie offered.

"And you're supposed to matter to me because?"

"Autumn Julie Madison…high-profile publicist, helping your children with _Mode_'s Hollywood issue."

"Claire Meade…Daniel and Alexis' mother….owner of_ Mode_ magazine…I win."

Julie was surprised by Claire's way of going about their introductions. She went ahead and took a seat on the other side of the table in front of Mrs. Meade, unsure of how their meeting would go.

"Well, you're a pretty one. I guess, I have to commend him for his taste. You are a little younger than what I had anticipated, but never the less, your type is always after the same thing."

Julie's eyes widen at Claire's comment. She was more confused than ever with Claire's every word.

"Um, I don't think you understand why I am here."

"You can't expect me not to know why you called to have this meeting. If you honestly think you can talk me into just stepping aside and giving up my husband then you are well-mistaken."

"Give up your husband?" Julie innocently asked.

"It's one thing when you sleep with my husband, but I will not step aside so you can up and marry him. That slut Fey Sommers tried--"

"Wait a minute, Mrs. Meade," Julie said as quickly as she could while she threw her hands up in the air. "You think I am here to talk to you about Bradford? Oh, God, no. Just because I've met your husband does not mean that I'm in any way attracted to him."

"I thought you were another one of those floozies that my husband…never mind, it doesn't matter since you're not one of _those_."

Julie breathed a sigh of relief as she realized why Daniel's mother was getting defensive about everything. A waiter appeared with Julie's much needed glass of wine. Julie gave the waiter a smile and thanked him for bringing her the drink. Then, Claire told him that they still needed some time to figure out what they wanted to order, and he left their table.

"For a minute there, I thought you had objections about Daniel," Julie sighed. She took a long sip from her glass as she studied the expression on Claire's face. The mother of the Meade children was a tough read especially since this was the first time the publicist met the woman behind the president of Meade Publications.

"Autumn...Julie? Now what's this meeting about?" Claire asked in a calmer tone.

"Um, well, Mrs. Meade…please feel free to call me Julie. It's just there's a lot been going on between Daniel and Alexis at the magazine, and I thought it was only fair that have this talk about them considering I obviously don't understand how and why they are the way they are toward each other," Julie managed to get out without taking a breath.

"And you can call me Claire," she offered with a smile before she continued. "Daniel has always looked up to Alex--Alexis his own life. I remember the times where Alex would make Daniel do some of the silliest things and Daniel wouldn't object. He's always looked up to his older brother…I mean, sister," Claire corrected herself before she took a sip from her wine glass.

"But things have changed recently now that Alex is a she…or so I've noticed," Julie mentioned.

"Well, that's what I've been told by Daniel's assistant Betty."

"Of course…Betty. She's such a good friend to Daniel from what I can tell," the publicist sighed with a smile.

Julie was still somewhat surprised by Betty's speech about Daniel and the way she felt the need to talk to her on his behalf. She began to drift into her thoughts about Daniel and looking back on how things had been between them recently minus the petty crap.

Claire jolted Julie out of her thoughts. "She's done more than her fair share of things for my son. Betty's gone above and beyond for Daniel in ways that none of his other assistants would have bothered."

"That's what I gathered from my encounters with Betty," Julie grinned.

"In all honesty, Julie, I know you did not want to get together today to talk about Daniel's assistant Betty." Claire clasped her hands together as she propped her elbows on the table.

Julie chuckled nervously as she knew she had been busted by a very perspective mother of two. "Well, not really. It's just…I wanted to talk to you about Daniel. I am not sure if you knew this or not, but I went to college with him during our time at Harvard."

"Another entry in my son's little black book," Claire paused as she studied the look on Julie's face. "You're different from the rest of them. I've never seen any of them to take the time to talk to me. I mean, Daniel rarely brings a woman home let alone one coming to me before Daniel's ready for such an occurrence."

"Well, Mrs. Meade…Claire, it's just Daniel and I seem to have this assorted past if I can call it that, and I'm wondering if it's because of how Alexis is with him."

"I won't sit here and make excuses for my son because quite frankly, Bradford hasn't been the ideal example of how any man should go about having a relationship with anyone especially someone like you."

Julie pressed her lips toward without having a word to reply to Claire. She had taken to heart the comments that the owner of _Mode_ said.

"And to answer your question, Julie, Daniel used to idolize Alex, but now that Alexis has returned, it has put a strain on their relationship. I am sure Daniel may have told you that Alexis is my favorite and that I turn a deaf-ear to how Alexis is especially toward him, but when it comes down to it, I have and always will love both my children," Claire explained.

"I don't doubt that," Julie simply said with a grin.

"Daniel may be the weaker of the two, but regardless, he's a Meade. He's battled through a lot of with how things have been between Alexis and the relationship Bradford and I have together. My son is stronger than what he's willing to realize," the woman behind the Meade family enlightened the publicist who sat in front of her.

"Of course, there's more to Daniel than his charming smile and his looks. I just wish he would put forth the effect to show people more of who he is instead of this front of a womanizing bachelor."

"I must say, Julie, you're different from the others. You're the type of woman Daniel should have found in the first place. Maybe if he would have found you sooner, then maybe he wouldn't feel the need to be so much like his father."

Julie could only nod at the Meade matriarch with sadness as she figured that Claire had a rocky marriage with Bradford and how he had his indiscretions with the before-mentioned Fey Sommers.

"I think you're the one thing my son needs to the most right now especially with the way his relationship with Alexis has been in the last few months. Daniel has done so much for his sister, but there are times where the friction between them is such a strain. I am sure he needs to have someone like you to back him up. I hate the way my children seem to be at odds with one another, and I hope with time they can move pass that, but for now, Daniel deserves to have someone in his life that can show him that he's worth something."

Julie felt a smile come across her face. "When it comes to Daniel, Claire, I have a feeling you and I can see eye-to-eye about how he is and what he needs. There times where Daniel shows this side to him that…I am not sure how to describe it, but I wish he had a chance to become more of that glimpse of what I see from time to time."

"And maybe you can bring that out of him. I know when he and his father would tell me about the progress of the issue, they were both impressed by the fact that you had been more productive than any other publicist _Mode_ has ever worked with. Bradford complimented you more than once on a single occasion so you can't blame me for assuming there could be something there."

"Oh God…let's not go there," Julie said she felt her stomach turn slightly.

"The way Daniel's face lights up when he mentions you, it's something I don't…more like I haven't seen my son do before with anyone else," Claire observed. "You'll do my son a world of good if I do say so myself."

Julie blushed a little at Claire's kindness. "Uh, well, your son has managed to shove his foot in his mouth."

Without fail, the mother to the Meade children rolled her eyes before she took a gulp from her glass. "That's my son for you. What has he done now?"

"It's nothing I can't handle. Granted, he managed to have his charm back fire on him, but for the time being, I am pretty sure your son has learned his lesson. I hope so and according to Betty, he has."

"I see a lot of myself in Daniel, but I am sure with time and a little encouragement among some other things, he'll come around. He's trying to prove himself to Bradford and if it were up to my hushand, I am sure Daniel would still be seen as the screw-up if Alexis hadn't come back the way she did."

"Well, you and I see Daniel as something more than a screw-up. I am sure of that," Julie smiled. "It's just he's…I am not sure how to put it. It's complicated."

"Who says life or relationships would be easy, dear? Daniel…he's a hard sale sometimes, but from what I can tell, whatever this is between the two of you, I wouldn't just walk away from it if I were you."

"Claire, you're easier to talk to than I expected. I guess that's what I get for thinking," she chuckled.

The rest of their luncheon was pleasant under the circumstances. Claire had given Julie some much needed insight about the Meade siblings and their family that shed a lot of light on some issues and concerns that Julie had about Daniel and some of the things he had mentioned to her previously.

--

Night time fell as the party for the Hollywood issue started at Prague. Daniel was nursing on a glass of Cristal as he mingled with guests and granting interviews with various reporters. Throughout the course of the evening, he searched the room for Julie, and she was no where in sight.

Once he found a free couple of minutes, he looked for Betty and hoped she would know more about Julie's whereabouts. He had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach when it came to Julie and where she could possibly be at one of the most important moments in _Mode_'s history as well as his life.

"Betty, where is Julie? She's not going to show, is she?" Daniel gulped as he ran a finger along his neck under his collar.

"Daniel, maybe she's busy. Besides, why would she miss this party? She's the one who put everything together, and since she is the publicist who got everyone to appear in _Mode _and put this together, why would she stand you up? She knows how important this and everything else has been to this magazine."

"But that doesn't explain why she's not here," Daniel retorted before he took the last gulp from his glass.

"Julie's a publicist. She probably has a lot of clients to deal with. Besides, she's still in a transition period. Who knows, the person who took her place in California probably isn't used to dealing with some of the clients like Julie does. You need to give her a break. She gave you one. It's only fair to return the favor," Betty reasoned.

Daniel looked at her with an unsure look on his face. Without fail, he went over to the bar and ordered his usual scotch on the rocks.

"You know what? Make it a double," Daniel said to the bartender.

Shortly after his order was placed, the bartender placed a napkin on the bar, and the editor-in-chief's drink was on the counter.

"Daniel, you're throwing in the towel before you give her a chance. Do you honestly want her to see you drunk off your ass when she gets here? What will that say to her about you and your integrity?" Betty asked as her eyes stared at her boss over the rim of her glasses.

"What am I suppose to do, Betty? She's not here. She more than likely won't show up because she doesn't want to talk to me ever again."

Betty sighed with frustration at her friend and his need to be negative. "This is for _Mode_ first and foremost before she ever decided to talk to you. We both know that, and if she didn't pull the covers after things blew up for you two, then what makes you think this is any different? She made a commitment to this magazine regardless of any personal ties she has to you."

"You know what? I'll believe you once I see her for myself."

"When have I not been straight forward with you, Daniel? She told me that she'd be here, and I don't see any reason why she won't be. As I told her when it came to you and I feel like it's only fitting now, there are two sides to every story. I don't see why you can't just wait until she gets here so she can have a chance to explain herself."

"Our relat--whatever this is…I just want this to work out, Betty," Daniel said as the unexpected anger melted away. "Julie means a great deal to me, and I just want her here...right now."

"Daniel, she's going to be here. I know she will be. She's just running a little behind," Betty reassured him as the temptation set in to hug her boss, but with the media around, she debated against it for the time being.

Daniel's eyes skimmed the room in hopes that Julie would make her way through the crowd to get to him, but there was still no sight of her.

--

Julie cursed under her breath as she sat in the back of her cab. She hated running late especially for this party or as Marc and Amanda saw it, _the _social event of the season…for the moment anyway. The traffic close to Prague was horrible as she was sure that there were tons of media and people who would love to get a glimpse of the stars that were attending the get together she had planned.

The publicist to the stars had spent the majority of her afternoon with Claire Meade. She wasn't expecting Claire to be so open about her children and the way things were for the Meade family, but in turn, she was thankful for her honesty about how things were in Daniel's life. Everything had given her a better idea how she should go about things with the man in her life.

Along with her afternoon with Claire, an associate of hers in Hollywood had called her in a panic over the latest stunt that Paris Hilton had pulled. It had been a hectic afternoon and she couldn't wait to get to Prague to see Daniel and talk to him about everything to hopeful fix the mess they were in.

Julie was running a good forty-five minutes late for the party, and it wasn't her forte to be fashionably late. She could never think of herself as a _Mode_ girl where she would take her sweet time to get to an engagement. A publicist being late was never usually a good thing.

Finally, her cab had made it to the front of Prague. She paid the driver for the ride and got out as quick as she could. She didn't pause to have her picture taken outside because it wasn't her place to do so, and she had better things to do than to have her picture taken by the press and the paparazzi.

--

Daniel had taken another sip from his glass as Betty watched him. His mind raced about why Julie hadn't shown up yet. He knew he wasn't giving her much slack, but this couldn't wait any longer. He needed to talk to her and explain himself to her. He had screwed himself over with her thanks to a stupid bet with Becks, but he wanted to spend as much time as he could, making this up to her.

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He could feel his heart tighten in his chest as if he was holding his breath, hoping she would be there with him.

Suddenly, Daniel saw a brunette woman making her way through the crowd to the bar, and it was Julie. She looked stunning in a vintage Chanel cocktail dress that took his breath away. She hadn't seen him yet, but she was about to place an order with the bartender.

"I'll have a..." Julie began before she was interrupted.

"She'll have a Manhattan with two cherries," Daniel said as he came up beside her.

The bartender nodded before he began to put Julie's drink together.

"Daniel…" Julie said with surprise as she looked over to see Daniel Meade looking at her with a smile on his face.

"Julie, I thought you'd never get here," Daniel said into her ear as he leaned in toward her at the bar.

The feeling of Daniel's warm breath against her ear gave Julie a chill as she took in a deep breath. "I got here as fast I could. The traffic was horrible, and you know how it can get with parties like this. It was backed up for blocks," Julie explained.

The bartender appeared with her drink. Julie smiled and thanked him before she picked up her glass.

"Daniel, I know we need to talk, but we've got rounds to make. I need to talk to your father and Alexis among all of these other people before you and I have that heart-to-heart. Besides, you're the man of the hour. I am sure you're in high-demand tonight," Julie giggled softly.

"Come on, Jules…" Daniel playfully groaned.

"And don't think we've made up, Daniel, because we haven't. You haven't justified your actions, and I have all the right to still be pissed with you." Julie countered.

"Right," he conceded as Julie brought him back to reality.

"We'll talk later. I promise," Julie said as she flashed him a smile. "But for now, Mr. Meade, this is about business."

Julie gave him a serious look as she held back a giggle before she took a sip of her drink and was well on her way to be the professional everyone expected her to be.

It was an evening filled with photographers and reporters left and right as Alexis and Daniel made their rounds with the press about their separate issues of _Mode_. Thanks to Julie and her quick thinking, the clean break and tension between the Meade siblings was played off as each of them having their own creative freedom with what they had put together.

Somehow they had managed to be the editor to their own issue without stepping on each other's toes. Whether it was something Bradford wanted to admit or not, the Hollywood issues had unexpectedly pleased him in ways that each issue complimented the other as well as bringing in a higher profit for _Mode_ and Meade Publications.

Daniel's eye caught a glimpse of Julie, and she was in the middle of talking to some people that didn't really matter to him for the time being. Suddenly, her eyes met his across the room and Daniel couldn't tell what the look on her face meant. She wasn't exactly smiling but she wasn't exactly angry either. He was well-aware of how she looked when she was mad and that wasn't it.

After a few minutes passed, she flashed him a smile and excused herself from the group of people she was with. She sashayed through the crowded bar, and Daniel's eyes were fixed on her.

"I've spoken to as many people as I am going to for the evening. Alexis and Dad can handle the rest," Daniel mentioned as he fought the urge to take Julie into his arms.

"And does that mean we've made up yet? I don't think so, Daniel. Don't you get it? Just because I talked to Betty and even your mother for that matter does not mean that you and I are fine."

"You talked to my mother?" Daniel gulped as his throat went dry.

Julie nodded. "I had a lengthy discussion with your mother today, and I guess that's one of the other reasons why I was running late tonight."

"What did she tell you? Alex is the golden child that I'd never live up to?"

"God, Daniel, will you give your mother more credit than that? You know what, if you can figure out a way to get us both out of here without the paparazzi catching on about us, we'll talk about this, but I refuse to get into this with you here of all places."

"J--"

"Devise a plan and then we'll talk," Julie said before she finished her drink. She tilted her head to the side and folded her arms across her chest as she tapped her toe on the floor. "Humor me."

Daniel couldn't help but stand there stunned at Julie's proposition. He cleared his throat before he tucked his hands into his pockets. Thoughts and scenarios started to race through his mind as he pondered how to fulfill Julie's request.

"Um, I'll be back shortly," Daniel managed to say before he went in search of his assistant.

Daniel found Betty sitting at a table with Christina. The two of them were having typical girl talk and he hated to interrupt, but Betty's input was needed as quickly as possible, and once they figured a solution, she would go back to being Meade-free for the rest of the night.

"Uh, Christina, I hate to do this, but can I borrow Betty for a few minutes?" Daniel asked as he went over to her table before he started to rock back and forth on his heels.

Christina noticed the perplexed look on Daniel's face and then looked over at her friend.  
"Very well," she conceded as she waved a hand in the air. "No more than fifteen minutes, Daniel. She deserves to have a life beyond you and _Mode_."

"I promise, Christina. Fifteen minutes," Daniel repeated with a nod.

Betty got up from her chair as she walked with her boss away from her friend. 'What is it now, Daniel? Shouldn't you and Julie be well on your way to making up?"

"Uh, if it were only that easy," he sighed. "I need your help. I swear, this is the last time tonight, but Betty, I need a plan…a legitimate excuse to get me and Julie out of here without the press catching on to us leaving together."

"Well, that's definitely interesting."

"She still doesn't want our relationship…whatever…to be made public until the issue goes to press, hits the newsstands. All that matters is it just can't right now, and I don't know what to do. I mean…"

"Daniel, stop blabbering," Betty said to break his anxiety. "Just take a step back and breathe. She's just doing what's best for the two of you right now."

"Any ideas?" He rocked back and forth on his heels as he stared at his shoes.

"Um, get Julie to take a cab to a few blocks away and then pick her up with the town car."

"And when does the media not follow me around?" Daniel stared his assistant with a small smile.

"Point taken; why not have her wear sunglasses and a hat and be the new mystery woman in your life is? I mean, she's a publicist. She can do damage control and divert the attention away from herself and focus it on the new Hollywood issues. Besides, with the press, they expect Daniel Meade to have a different woman every night. You aren't one of New York's most eligible bachelors for nothing," Betty reminded with a grin.

Before Daniel had a chance to say much of anything else, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his inside coat pocket. He reached into his jacket to get to it. Assuming someone was calling, he looked down to see who was calling, but he noticed that he had received a text message: _Saved you the trouble, meet me at your place. I'm on my way._

"Well, problem solved," Daniel chuckled. "I guess I'll see you in the office in the morning."

"Figures," Betty rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"Thanks for the attempted help. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"Will do," Betty grinned.

--

Daniel had made it back to his apartment, and without fail, there was a certain publicist waiting in front of his door. Her arms were crossed as she leaned against the door frame. She flashed him a smile as he approached the entrance to his place.

"You know, you're welcome here," Daniel reminded as he approached the door with his keys in hand.

"Are you assuming I have a key?" Julie said with an arched eyebrow. "I've only been here once before, remember?"

"Ah, that's right. But the spare key…"

"I don't even want to know, Daniel Meade. Besides, how many people have a key to your apartment….every other woman in New York City? Is that supposed to win me over?" Julie eyed Daniel suspiciously. She tried to keep a serious expression on her face although it was fading fast before a smile formed across her features.

Daniel returned the gesture as he walked over to Julie. She blocked his reach of the lock on the door. "Uh, well, it's just…how are we going to get in there to talk if you're blocking our way in?"

"Promise me that you'll be honest, and I'll return a promise not to walk away without listening," Julie said before she pressed her lips together.

"I promise to fulfill your wish as long as you don't walk out of my life again without listening to reason," Daniel sighed, hoping her had convinced Julie to stay.

"And no matter what you say, I am allowed to yell at you if need be," Julie smirked with a giggle before she moved out of his way.

"Fine," he said as he rolled his eyes.

Julie moved out of Daniel's way so he could unlock the door for them to go into his apartment. Julie walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. She quietly watched him as he closed the door behind them. He smiled at her before he made his way over to sofa.

Julie leaned back onto the couch as she looked at the man standing over her with the smile on his face. Daniel never thought he'd see the day where this particular woman would be sitting on his couch again.

"What's the deal? What was going through that mind of yours to make a stupid bet with Becks over me? You've got a lot of explaining to do, Mr. Meade."

"Uh, well, let's just get to the point, shall we?" Daniel chuckled nervously as he slipped out of his suit jacket and tossed on the arm of the chair closest to him.

"I wouldn't keep me waiting if I were you," Julie hinted. "And words like 'hot' or 'babe' are not going to win me over by any stretch."

"You aren't leaving me much room here, Julie," he said as he ran a hand along the back of his neck.

"And you hurt me in a way I thought you never would…point being?"

Daniel cleared his throat without having a comeback. "Julie, it's just before we met up at the bar, Becks and I were talking about how much of a…" Julie shot him a serious look,  
"…how head-strong you were back in the day and how neither one of us had a chance in hell with you."

Julie gave him a smug smile as she sank back into where she sat.

"And you know how Becks is…he's always willing to come up with an offer that hard to resist. Yes, we had a bet. There's no point in denying that, but it wasn't like it was in college. It was about if_ I_ could sleep with you. In retrospect, of course it was a bad idea, I just didn't realize how bad it was until you came into the office the next day after we had the get together at the bar."

"Mhmm…" Julie sighed as she watched him carefully.

"I made a stupid mistake, and I can't blame you for hating me like you do as well you should. Hell, I can't blame you for the way you led me on until the very end, but just know that over the course of the week where you and I spent day and night together, I meant everything I said. You're not like anyone else I know. I mean, you've made me realize that I need to grow up and become someone more than just Daniel Meade…infamous playboy bachelor. You've shown me that there's more to me than just that."

"But why didn't you tell me about the bet? Why couldn't you be honest from the beginning? Well, not the beginning, but why couldn't you have told me during the course of that week that you had made a bet? You knew I had a soft spot for you. I told you that and you used it to your advantage." Julie sighed as her eyes shifted to the floor briefly before she looked up at Daniel again.

"Jules, I am so sorry about that, but I wasn't sure how you'd take it. I mean, I should have told you. I mentioned something about it to Betty and she told me to be honest with the truth and I didn't. Look where it got me. You left me faster than you appeared, and I should have known better. Believe me, I know how stupid it was and I am so sorry that I hurt you. You didn't deserve that," Daniel spoke honestly and from the heart. He hoped Julie would take into account everything else he had to deal with.

"But why couldn't you be honest? That's all I've ever wanted was honesty," she said wearily.

"I know. I am so sorry; that will never be enough, but just know that losing you almost killed me. This week has been so rough trying to be editor-in-chief of _Mode _while you were still at the office with Alexis. That hurt like hell knowing that you were so close, but you didn't give a damn about me anymore," he confessed as he pressed his lips together.

Daniel paused briefly to see how Julie was reacting to what he had to say. Her eyes were fixed on him and she listened intently. He silently breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't slapped him for his stupidity.

Julie saw the sadness and honesty in his eyes that she had wanted from the beginning. The way Daniel believed that she didn't care about him broke her heart. Sure, she was mad at him and she had every right be that way, but for him to think that she didn't care, that was saddest thing she ever heard.

"And do you realize how hard it was for me not to go over to your office everyday? Believe me, having Nick Pepper hit me on every single day was not a pleasant experience. Is it just me or is he trying to an exaggerated version of you?"

Daniel couldn't help but laugh lightly at Julie's observation. "Let's not even go there with Nick Pepper. I don't see what Alexis sees in him or how he's even qualified to be her assistant."

Somehow Daniel was taken back by Julie's honesty about missing him. With the way she had gone about dodging him and making it what he thought was quite clear about the way she felt about him, there was a part of him who stood there in disbelief at what Julie had said.

Julie patted the cushion beside her for Daniel to sit next to her, and he couldn't help but smile at the gesture. He carefully took a seat beside the woman in his life. The two of them sat there in silently briefly before Julie broke the silence.

"Daniel, I know I've done a convincing job where you thought I hated you or however you saw it, but I must confess something. I could never hate you. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't because even though you have your flaws, you're just this guy that no matter how much of an idiot you tend to be from time to time, I just can't hate you. Believe me, I wanted to and maybe for a little while I did like when I left here that night, but when it came down to it, who hasn't a lapse of judgment like you had?" Julie admitted as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

Julie turned to look at Daniel sitting beside her and she couldn't help but smile as she looked at him. She drew in a breath as she noticed the corners of Daniel's mouth turned upward into a smile.

Julie pressed her lips together as her eyes were fixed on Daniel. It was like for a brief moment they were frozen in time, and she want to burn this to memory.

"Jules, what is it?" Daniel noticed her just watching him without saying much.

"It's nothing," she chuckled to herself as she tucked some loose hair behind her left ear. "Well, it's just…I am not sure how to explain it. I just couldn't stand the way I pictured you sulking in your office all week long. It was bad enough when I saw you on Monday, but thinking of you like that for more than just…it was horrible and somehow after it was all said and done, I felt kind of guilty for putting you in that position…even though you have to admit it, you deserved some of it."

The smile on Daniel's face wasn't at bright once Julie mentioned how he deserved some of his misery.

"You're a handful in your own right, Daniel, but I didn't say you weren't worth it," Julie grinned. "I know they'll be times where we'll infuriate each other in some way, but all that matters is we stick it out and make it work together."

Daniel couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief. "And that's what I intend to do. That's what I want us to do."

"Good," she nodded with a slight chuckle. "You better keep your end of the arrangement or I'll cry. I am not kidding. I've seen the damage you can do, and if you cross that line, Daniel 'if I only knew your middle name' Meade, I swear, it's over."

Daniel reached down and took Julie's hand into his before he brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. "Autumn Julie, I promise," he reassured. "You're the last person I would ever want to do that to again."

"I know I called you a liar when we talked that night, but if this is who you actually are, Daniel, you aren't allowed to change. I've miss this…I've missed you," she whispered.

"I've missed you too," Daniel said softly.

The former playboy looked down at their hands intertwined and he couldn't help but smile warmly. He silently gave thanks for this second…third chance at something that he thought would never happen, not from this woman…the one who had seemingly got away.

Without giving it much thought, Daniel leaned over toward Julie as the tension began building between the two of them. Before she had a chance to figure out what was going on, Daniel brushed his lips against hers, and they shared a kiss. Daniel placed a hand on her cheek as his thumb caressed her cheek to deepen the kiss.

"So, are we okay?" Daniel asked after he slowly pulled back from their kiss as he searched for the answer in her eyes.

Julie couldn't help but give him a huge smile. "Of course, we are. Granted, this is just a bump in the road, but I think this shows we are capable of growing together. Besides, it just proves that you're stronger than you're willing to believe sometimes," she teased with a giggle.


	13. Equal Playing Ground

**Author's Note: **_As surprising as this may sound; this is the second to last installment of this tale. I know, for the longest time I couldn't make up my mind about how long this would be and I finally figured out how I wanted to end this…more like the time frame in how to end this. Also, I haven't gotten a chance to go back and double check on how Daniel likes his coffee. So if it's wrong, forgive me and I'll go back and fix it once I edit the chapter or when I get the chance to watch old episodes from season one. Besides, I just finished up with this chapter so of course I haven't really had a chance to edit the typos/errors yet because I wanted to get it up and posted for your reading pleasure. :) Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen  
**_Equal Playing Ground_

Today was the day that _Mode_ was sending both of the Hollywood issues to their printer. Julie had made a point to have a meeting with both Meade siblings about their issue. She wanted to have an actual say so about both issues whether the editor of that issue liked it or not. Sure, Alexis had e-mailed Julie a version of the main article for her issue, but the publicist wanted to see how the finished product turned out down to every little detail. Granted, Julie wasn't an editor; and normally, she wouldn't care about the finish product, but if she continued to be a key player in _Mode _and Meade Publications, she couldn't help but want to know how things would turn out.

The doors of the elevator opened to the 28th floor, and Julie took a quick look around before she exited with a carry-out tray of Starbucks coffee. She carefully made her way through _Mode _as she noticed a certain snarky receptionist and her other half were not manning the circular desk which didn't surprise Julie.

"Typical," Julie said under her breath as she passed by.

Once she got closer to Daniel's office, the publicist saw Betty sitting at her desk, typing away at her computer.

"Morning, Betty," Julie said as she came closer to the assistant's desk.

"Julie, good morning; what's this?" Betty asked as she noticed Julie's hands were full before she placed the tray on the corner of her desk.

"Oh, it's just some Starbucks. I thought you wouldn't mind the change," Julie grinned as she motioned for Betty to take a cup.

"Aw, that's sweet of you! You didn't have to," Betty insisted.

"It's the least I could do, Betty," Julie grinned. "What mood is Daniel in this morning?"

"Uh, he's been kind of quiet this morning, but he just got in like twenty minutes ago. You two talked last night, right?"

Julie nodded. "Yeah, it was a long night. No request for his bagel and coffee yet?"

Betty chuckled as she shook her head. "Not yet. He said hey and went into his office and that was about it."

Julie gave Betty a confused look. "That's interesting. You know what, Betty? Go ahead and get his bagel and don't worry about the coffee," she suggested.

Betty nodded. "I'll be back shortly." She got up from her chair and went on her way to take care of Julie's request.

Julie removed the other two cups of coffee from the tray before she threw it away. She went over to Daniel's door. She looked in to see that he was sitting at his desk; his jacket was draped over the back of his chair. A smile crept across Julie's face before she lightly knocked on the door.

Daniel was on the phone with some woman, a Donna something or other from Dior. He was in the works of _Mode_ getting an exclusive first look at the fall line as well as a tie-in with the new fragrance line.

"Come in, Betty," he spoke without looking up as he placed the phone back on its base before he scrambled to find something to write on.

The door opened to Daniel writing some stuff down on a notepad. He was in the zone with his work even though he should have been tired from the long night he had with a certain woman the night before.

"I know you're in this habit of it being Betty most of the time, but why not look up sometime before you assume?" Julie giggled as she made her way into Daniel's office.

"Jules…hey!" Daniel said as his face lit up at the sight of her.

"Morning, you."

"What are you doing here?"

"After our long talk last night into this morning, I thought it would only be fair if I brought you some Starbucks," Julie grinned as she gestured to the cups in her hand before she placed one in front of him.

"You really didn't have to," he smiled with a nod.

"Black, two sugars…just the way you like it."

"How did you…?" Daniel was at a loss for words since he was unaware of how Julie knew a small detail about the infamous editor-in-chief of _Mode._

"I know you better than you think I do," she giggled. "More like I pay attention to details; it's a part of my job description."

Daniel picked up his cup to take a sip, and he couldn't help but smile at her. He was impressed that Julie had gotten it right on the money. He leaned back in his chair as he looked up at her. His eyes were drawn to her, and he couldn't help it. It was the way Julie would smile or the way Julie's hair fell on her face. The two of them had a knack for noticing the little things about each other.

"Stop it," she whispered.

"Stop what?" Daniel said defensively with a chuckle. "What are you talking about? I haven't said anything."

"You may not have said anything, Daniel Meade, but it's the way you're looking at me. It's the way your eyes get when you're like this."

"I don't get what you're talking about," he admitted as he set his cup on his desk before he rose from his chair.

Daniel came around to the front of his desk to get closer to her. He leaned back on his desk as he crossed his arms against his chest.

Julie placed her cup on the table by the white chairs in his office before she walked over to him. She pressed her lips together as she walked over to where Daniel was. She drew in a breath as she noticed the way he was looking at her, watching her intently without saying much of anything.

"It's just when you get all quiet on me and you watch like you're doing right now…"

He couldn't help but chuckle at what she had mentioned. "It's just that you're a keeper."

Daniel stood up from where he was leaning and now there were merely inches between the two of them.

"You know, Betty is going to be back any minute with your bagel," Julie whispered as she could feel Daniel's warm breath against her flesh. Her heart rate began to race, and before she had a chance to object, he pulled her into his arms.

"Why does that matter? Betty's a pretty perspective girl. Besides, it's not like it matters…she knows about us." Daniel softly spoke, hoping Julie would be satisfied with his answer.

Before he had a chance to react, Julie had slipped out of his arms. "Well, that might be the case, but you know we have a meeting scheduled for later today, and I am sure we'll manage to get the job done and squeeze something interesting into that time frame," Julie giggled with a wink.

Daniel almost began to pout, but his facial expression changed with her words. "I love the way you think."

Julie playfully rolled her eyes at him before she went to where she left her coffee. "We'll continue this discussion later. Besides, you need to finish up with editing your Hollywood issue considering they go to the printer today."

"Oh, right…that," Daniel remembered.

"Editor first…having a relationship comes second or it should anyway," the publicist said as she picked up her cup and took a sip.

"But what if the two mix?"

"I guess, you're learning to deal with that in the moment," Julie chuckled. "You aren't getting me to stay, not right now anyway. As much as either of us may want that right now, the answer is no, not going to happen." Julie said, trying to convince him. She saw it as a reminder to herself for the other things she had to do before their meeting.

"Julie..," Daniel pouted as his blue eyes stared at her with a pleading look.

"No is no, Daniel," she said, trying her best to resist temptation. "As much as I want to give into that thought, nope. I've got a meeting with your sister first, must save the best for last. I know Alexis won't be happy to see me considering she won't appreciate the way I want to go about seeing her Hollywood issue. You know, you shouldn't let her step on your toes on future issues."

He didn't acknowledge what Julie had to say about Alexis. He silently watched her carefully with a small smirk across his lips.

She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him as she lightly nibbled on her bottom lip. "Daniel…I know what you're thinking and the answer is still no. If I don't go now, I never will."

With that being said, Julie left Daniel's office in a flash, hoping that he wouldn't follow.

--

The time had come for Julie to come face-to-face with the elder Meade sibling who had managed to use her deception and lies for her own benefit. Too bad her plan had failed even though it was short-lived.

Julie made her way over to Alexis' office, and there was Nick Pepper sitting at his desk working on something that didn't seemingly matter to her. Without fail, Nick looked up at the publicist and tried to get up for his chair to greet her.

"Don't even bother, Pepper," Julie grumbled as she pushed him back into his chair before he had a chance to open his mouth.

Julie continued into Alexis' office without knocking. She wanted to get this meeting over with considering she dreaded it, but the publicist had made a point to make Alexis show her the finish product just to get under the co-editor-in-chief's skin.

"Alexis…" Julie said to get her attention.

"Autumn, hi, I wasn't expecting you this soon," Alexis fumbled as she was finishing up her notes on the last part of her version of the book.

"Well, our meeting is scheduled for ten and it's now ten, and I'm normally not late," Julie retorted as she noticed the look of surprise on the woman's face who sat at her desk. She did her best to conceal the smug smile she wanted to show.

"So, it is," Alexis mentioned as she looked at the clock in her office. "I am almost done with this. I thought I would have finished this sooner." She was making excuses.

In actuality, Alexis had no desire to show Julie the book with her Hollywood issue. Why would a co-editor-in-chief have to ask to a publicist for her approval? She had wondered that and didn't see a reason to fulfill such an absurd request.

"If you'd like to come back later, I'd be happy to show you this then," Alexis said as she looked up the publicist in front of her. She waved the pen she was using between her fingers.

"I think it's only fair that I at least get a chance to look over the main spread of your issue Alexis. If it wasn't for me, this entire month's issues of _Mode_ wouldn't have been possible," Julie pointed out, staying firm about her intentions.

"Well, if it wasn't for an editor like myself with my know-how and abilities to take what you've so _graciously_ bestowed upon _Mode_ then there would be nothing in print for such an issue," Alexis countered with a sarcasm.

"Let's cut to the chase, Alexis," Julie said forcefully. "I know you hate the way I do my job, but I am not considered one of the best without reason. Whether you want to believe it or not, I'm not some dim-wit that has no idea how the business works. I've been in the business long enough to know how it works and how to go about things so either we do this the easy way or the hard way."

"You're more than I expected, Julie," she said cutting the crap about the whole Autumn bit.

Julie scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "You know,_ Alex_, I hate the way your brother tries to be the nice one when it comes to this because the last time I checked you're one shrewd bitch."

"Honey, I don't think you know what you're dealing with."

"How in the hell can you feel the need to screw Daniel over when it comes to an issue of _Mode_? You know damn well, he can take care of this magazine without your assistance whether you believe it or not under the circumstances."

All Alexis could do was laugh as she rose from her chair to look at Julie eye-to-eye. She leaned on her hands that were planted firmly on the surface of her desk.

"My brother Danny would be lost if it wasn't for me. This magazine…this legacy should be mine without question."

"I don't know what Daniel sees in you, but let me make this quite clear: you aren't going to fool me and I hate to break it to you…I am not going anywhere. After hours of talking and reconciliation, I don't see myself going away from your brother's life so the idea of Daniel being broken isn't an option."

"And why do you care so much about him?" Alexis gave her a questioning look.

"I am not going to stand here and give you some crap like you gave me the other day. Not that it's any of your business, but he and I have something that's real. I am not some random woman he picked up at a bar so I don't intent on going away anytime soon," Julie mentioned.

"Whatever, you're just another one of _those_ interested in the money."

"Don't you think I have my fair share of that?"

Alexis laughed. "If you say so."

"You know what, Alexis, your damn issue is your own for a reason, and I am sure as hell not going to stand here and let you insult me. It's one thing to insult my career or who I am, but to insult my intentions about your brother or this magazine, I can hold my own. Thank you very much. And honestly, I don't know why I bothered to try to get to know you because you fit perfectly into this whole _Mode_ stereotype. You have your own little agenda, but if I were you, I'd give Daniel the credit he is due."

Julie began to dig into her purse to find the one that she had wanted to show Alexis. She pulled out the sheet of paper than Betty had given her earlier in the week, Daniel's letter from the last issue.

"If I were you, I'd read this and see if this changes your opinion about the idiot you think Daniel is."

Julie wasted no time to unfold the letter Betty had shared with Daniel's unaware sister. The force behind her voice made Alexis curious about what the publicist who known Daniel so well was talking about considering she didn't have the final say on the last issue.

Julie watched the look on Alexis' face change as she read Daniel's letter. "I wasn't sure if you knew this or not, but that's Daniel's letter from editor that was published in the last issue. I guess you wouldn't know that if you disregard an issue where you couldn't stand your brother having the last word."

"Well…I…uh…" Alexis struggled to get out without saying much of anything else.

"If that's not love, then he has a funny way of showing how he hates you," Julie mentioned as her hands were on her hips. "Like I was saying, give your brother the recognition he has earned and deserves. If the last week reflects how you ran _Hudson_, then there is no chance in hell, I'd bother to work with you again. If it wasn't for Daniel and his creditability, believe me, I wouldn't stick around. If you don't believe me about that being in the issue, why don't you have that wannabe assistant of yours find you a copy? "

Alexis sat in silence with Daniel's letter in her hands as Julie smugly smiled at her. While the silence still lingered, the publicist left the infamous older Meade sibling standing there unable to come up with the words or a comeback to what she had said.

--

Daniel sank into his chair with his version of the book open on his desk. He started blankly at the page in front of him. He was deep in thought as he knew he should be prepping the book for the printer. He had already made his final changes, but he had intentions of going over the book one last time before his meeting with Julie. The editor-in-chief just didn't want to focus on it.

"What are you doing, Daniel?" Betty said as she walked into her boss' office.

The sound of Betty's voice shook Daniel out of his trance. He cleared his throat as he ran his hands down his tie before he looked up at his assistant. "Uh, I've been…uh, working on making the….um…" Daniel wet his lips with a pause, "the final touches on the book before Julie comes back for our meeting."

"And staring at the inside flap of the binder? That's 'getting work done'…how?" Betty mentioned as she concealed a laugh behind her smile.

"Uh…I am working on it," Daniel protested as he turned a page to make it seem like he had done more than how things had looked. "See?"

"Well, it's just…the last time I checked work entailed more than just looking at a page."

"True, but I am trying a new technique," he grinned.

Betty could only roll her eyes playfully. "If you say so, Daniel, but I don't think Julie will take that to heart once she's in her work mindset."

The assistant silently watched her boss at the mention of Julie's name. She couldn't help but wonder how things went last night considering by the time she had made it back from getting Daniel his onion bagel, Julie was reaching down to grab her cup of coffee of the table between the two white chairs in his office.

"So, how were things last night?" Betty asked innocently.

"Last night was good. I think the party at Prague was a success. I mean, the Hollywood issues got a lot of exposure last night," Daniel offered, avoiding the obvious answer to his friend's question.

"Daniel…" Betty chuckled as she shook her head. "You know what I mean. How were things with Julie last night when you left the party after her?"

She took a seat in front of his desk. She waited for him to tell her about how things had turned out. She had hopes that they had made amends because not only did Betty hate seeing Daniel live life in a daze, but she wanted him to happy, and from what she could tell, Julie made him happy. The two of them deserved that.

"It was…" he paused as he began searching for the words as his eyes skimmed the ceiling of his office, "we're starting over. Julie and I had a heart-to-heart. We talked into the wee hours of the morning, and honestly, Betty, I don't even know how I managed to get to work on like two hours of sleep if you want to call it sleep."

"Did I really need to know that?" Betty made an uncomfortable face at his comment, assuming Daniel meant something else besides sleep.

"What? Seriously, I slept…more like napped."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. I am not Claire. Besides, it doesn't matter as long as you don't screw 'whatever this is'…as you like to put it with Julie up."

"I don't intend to, Betty. Honestly, she and I are back on track. We made promises to each other that neither one of us intend to break. You know how I feel about her. I mean, I don't know how to put it. It's different from anything else from my past," Daniel drew in a deep breath after he finished what he said.

"I know that. You don't have to explain yourself to me. I've seen the way you talk about her and how your face lights up and everything. She's a good match for you, and you deserve to be happy," she flashed him one of her full smiles. "Besides, I know she's not like Sofia. I've talked to her and I know she's not here for personal gain because if that were the case, I would assume she would have stayed in Hollywood to date someone huge like that if she really wanted."

"Thank you," Daniel managed to say out of the blue.

"You're thanking me? For what?" Betty asked somewhat confused.

"For being the friend who always manages to help me through all of the crap I get myself into. If it wasn't for you, Betty, I don't think Julie would have given me another chance," Daniel sighed.

He looked at his friend across his desk, and he noticed the way Betty was looking at him without judgment or annoyance. The younger Meade sibling appreciated the way his assistant, more like his friend, would listen to him without any awkwardness between the two of them. It was times like this especially with how things had turned out with him and Julie that he was grateful for the way Betty was because if truth be told, anyone else wouldn't have done this much for him. Daniel was sure of that.

"Um, wasn't it Julie who said that she had this inevitable soft spot for you, Daniel?" Betty looked at him with her arms crossed.

"Maybe so, but she would have never done anything to come back to me if it wasn't for you."

"I don't think so. You're the one who kept her around. Seriously, if she didn't want to stay, don't you think she would have pulled everything and taken it to_ Isabella_ without a second thought?"

"She could have," Daniel reasoned.

"No relationship goes without having some issues from time to time. Nothing's perfect. You know that and the whole issue of the bet and everything just brought you two closer together. If I was in Julie's shoes and I didn't care, I would have turned around and ran like hell out of your life," Betty honestly answered. "I know you haven't told me much about your past with her, but she came back into your life after everything you and Becks did to her in college. She came back in your life, Daniel. Doesn't that stand for something? She's not going to give up on you whether you believe that or not right now."

Daniel's door had been left open, and Julie didn't realize that he was having a talk with his assistant. She raised her hand to knock on the door frame, but she stopped herself when she heard voices talking. She peered into the office to see Daniel and Betty chatting about something. Julie somehow stayed out of Daniel's view as she silently stood at the door to listen to what the two friends were saying. She couldn't help but listen once she heard Betty say her name.

"I wish I had half of Julie's strength and patience when it comes to me," Daniel chuckled. "It's just this…she is different from all of the others. She doesn't give a damn about the Meade name, and in a way, that blows me away. She knew me long before I was Daniel Meade, _editor-in-chief_."

"And that must count for something. She hasn't thrown herself at you like the countless others. Don't put yourself down when it comes to Julie. I am sure if she were here right now, she'd say the same thing. Just because she doesn't want to sleep with you from the get-go does mean something. She has enough sense to see you for who you actually are vs. the glitz and the glam and being the next girl Friday for who you used to be."

"I guess you're right. It's just everything's so new to me, Betty. I don't know how to explain it. It's like when you go on your first sky dive…"

Betty tilted her head to side as she gave her boss a strange look.

"Um, okay…not sky dive…first bike ride?" Daniel tried to come up with a better analogy to describe to Betty how he felt about how things had been with him and Julie. "Well, look at it this way. It's like when you are so nervous about trying something new and when you finally do, it's the most amazing feeling you've ever felt. That's how I feel when it comes to Julie. I was tense and unsure about how things would be, but now that I know we're fine, I feel like I could run a marathon or something like that." Daniel sighed with a chuckle. "Did that make sense?" He paused as he gave her an unsure look.

Betty smiled and couldn't help but laugh. "I get what you're saying, Daniel. I get it. She's that new and exciting element in your life that makes you happy when you're with her. I just wish I had something like that in my life."

"With time, you'll find someone, Betty. You're wonderful in your own right, and any guy would be crazy not to see that when it comes to you."

"Daniel…" Betty started to blush.

"What? It's true. You're a great person, and I'd hate to see the guy who doesn't notice that about you," he offered with a grin.

"You're my friend…you're supposed to say stuff like that," she replied as she rolled her eyes.

"What? Seriously, Betty, I mean it. You deserve to be happy just like everyone else. Granted, as long as you're not like Amanda who tends to be a cynical bitch, I am sure things will work out in your favor. You deserve to be happy."

"Well, you do too. I mean, I hope Julie gives you the happiness you deserve especially after a certain person from the 27th floor who shall remain nameless."

"I get it…." Daniel trailed off.

With that being said, Julie drew in a breath as she knocked lightly on the door frame like she had originally planned. Daniel's eyes looked up toward the door and his and Julie's eyes met. Betty turned back to see who was knocking and then she smiled once she saw Julie.

"Time for our meeting already…so soon?" Daniel said as he glanced down at the book. He clapped his hands together in nervousness.

"Well, I know I am a little early, but Alexis and I really didn't have much to go over," Julie mentioned.

"I guess you two need to have your meeting," Betty said as she rose from her chair. "Do you two need anything?"

"Nope, I am fine, Betty," Daniel smiled.

Julie stepped into his office and placed her purse and other essentials on one of the white chairs. "I am good, but thanks for the offer, Betty," she grinned.

Betty nodded before she made her way out of Daniel's office to leave the two of them to get their work done.

"Done with the book?" Julie asked as she walked over toward Daniel's desk.

"I am working on it," he mentioned as he picked up his pen.

"Are you sure?" she asked as she noticed what part of the book he was working on.

"This is the second time around," he retorted. "Promise."

Julie gave him an unsure look as she made her way over to his desk. After a couple of silent moments, the two of them shared a laugh before he turned the book around to where Julie could see it once she took a seat in one of the orange chairs in front of his desk.


	14. Epilogue

**Author's Note**: _So, this has been a long journey in the fan fic world that has now come to an end. I've enjoyed writing this fic. I can't believe I started writing this in March, and it's almost the end of the year. As usual, please look over the typos. I just finished this up, and I wanted to get it posted for your reading enjoyment. I'd love to thank everyone who has been patient with me from the beginning. And without further ado, I give you the final chapter to this long tale. :)_

* * *

**Epilogue  
**_On down the road…_

Another day in Daniel's life where his personal life was splashed across Page Six, but this was not about his seemingly typical playboy behavior. So maybe this was true and somehow it was the done under the radar, but the point of matter was that it happened. Daniel and Julie's relationship had evolved over the past several months and he possibly could have proposed to Julie and maybe this was their happily ever after, but how in the world did it happen where only close and personal friends knew about it?

That's what happened when a womanizing editor-in-chief who was in the media spotlight constantly was in a romantic relationship with a high-profile publicist that used to work in Hollywood who dealt with stuff like this on a daily basis. During the course of Daniel and Julie's relationship, they were considered to be a power couple. With Julie's expertise along with Daniel being the editor of one of the most sought after magazines, how could the Meade and Madison (or M&M as they were affectionately known as) duo fail? Once their relationship came to light and they had been together for more than six months, the world began to wonder when the Meade heir was going to pop the question.

The two of them tiptoed along that fine line of just dating or turning it into something more for months, and it had gotten to a point where Julie finally had given up on entertaining the thought that Daniel would ever ask her to marry him. With his job and how things were with his family, she could only assume that he was trying to protect her from everything. That was seemingly true until one unexpected day when Daniel draped his jacket around Julie's shoulders, and she found the ring that he had carried around for weeks because he couldn't figure out the perfect time until it presented itself.

"I didn't realize the weather would become this chilly after night fall," Julie observed as she could feel the goose bumps form on her arms. She started to run her hands against them to warm up.

Daniel chuckled softly. "You've been away from New York for too long, Jules."

"Yeah, I kind of figured," she countered as she looked over at him, trying to remain serious, but failing miserably. A small smile developed across her face. "It has been a while…close to eight years now. That's insane. I've been away for too long."

"Well, I'll say. Why didn't you tell me you were here for grad school?"

"Because I needed a break from you and that best friend of yours…you two really are a handful whether you realize that or not," she giggled.

Somehow Julie had talked Daniel into seeing one of her favorite Broadway shows. She hadn't pushed him to see many plays considering it wasn't his thing, but tonight without too much fuss, he humored her. They decided to take a walk in the Shakespeare Garden at Central Park. It was nice for them to find a place within the hustle and bustle of the city where they could go and have some quiet time. It was surprising that the press hadn't figured out that this was their place away from the rest of their busy lives.

Julie tried to hide the fact that the cold was getting to her, but it was becoming impossible now that the wind around them began to pick up.

"Geez, Julie, you're shivering," Daniel noticed as he instinctively took off his jacket and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders. He ran his hands down briskly along her arms to help her warm up.

"Thanks," she grinned as she looked up at the man in her life.

Their eyes met and they smiled at each other before Daniel took Julie's hand into his. The couple walked through this area where the trees and flowers were usually in bloom during the warmer parts of the year. Julie seemingly broke the comfortable silence between them with a giggle as her eyes were on Daniel.

"What's that for?" he eyed her suspiciously as he looked over at her.

"What? It's nothing," she contested as she couldn't help but giggle harder as she tried to hide it even more.

"Jules…"

"It's nothing. I'll stop," Julie batted her eyelashes innocently with a grin.

"If you say so…" Daniel said skeptically.

"As much fun as this would be for us to bicker about it for the rest of night and as much as I love spending time with you here in our little corner of the world, I can't handle the cold anymore so could you please call the town car so we can go back to your place?" Julie pouted.

"This was your idea for this walk you know," Daniel teased.

"Well, if you want me to get sick, we can stay…"

"Actually, the town car's waiting over there," he grinned as he pointed out toward the closest pathway out to the street.

Julie gave him a surprised look as her mouth was opened slightly. She stood over for a few seconds before she finally spoke up. "And why did you let us come out here if you wanted to get back?"

"Because it's like for the same reason I didn't make a fuss over the play you wanted to see tonight. It's your night," Daniel smiled as he wrapped his arms around the freezing Julie Madison.

The two of them shared a quick kiss before they headed to the waiting car and went back to Daniel's loft.

After they got settled once they got back to his place, Julie was in the kitchen fixing them a pot of coffee. She was still wearing Daniel's jacket as she reached up to into one of the cabinets to grab a couple of coffee cups.

"So, what's this I hear about_ Mode_ landing the new exclusive rights to the new Stella McCartney line?" Julie asked as she looked over her shoulder at a grinning Daniel Meade who was leaning front against the kitchen counter.

"Yeah, we're just tying up some loose ends, but the deal should be finalized within the next week or so," Daniel half-heartedly explained as his mind was on other things. "I am just waiting on a couple of phone calls from the right people…no big deal."

"Ah, okay." Julie chuckled as she noticed the coffee had finished brewing. "You know me, I can handle Hollywood, but I am kind of clueless when it comes to fashion."

The next thing Julie knew a cell phone began to ring, and it wasn't hers. Her ringtone wasn't like that, and she had almost forgotten that she was wearing Daniel's jacket. "Where's your phone?" she scrambled as she began to rummage through the pockets of his jacket.

Daniel chuckled to himself as he watched her search through the different pockets in his jacket. Julie could be cute with her actions without trying as she feverishly searched through the different pockets she came across until she finally found it in one of the inner pockets of his jacket.

"Oh, I think, it's Betty," Julie said as she glanced down at the phone before she turned to give it to Daniel.

He answered his phone and shared a short conversation with his assistant. They were talking about how Stella's people had called her to let them know that the deal was coming together nicely, and the contact would be signed in the next couple of days.

As Julie went through his pockets, she noticed something that couldn't have been Daniel's wallet or his cell phone for that matter. It was in the pocket closest to his heart and whatever it was; it was definitely smaller than a wallet.

"Um, Daniel?" Julie asked as he finished up his conversation with his assistant. "What's this in your left pocket?"

"Oh crap…" Daniel whispered. "Uh, Jules, it's nothing," he nervously replied as he remembered what was in the before mentioned pocket.

Julie gave Daniel a confused yet suspicious look. "And am I supposed to believe the look on your face because?"

"There's nothing to worry about," he grinned as he racked his brain, trying to think of something that would get her to focus on something else.

The publicist chuckled to herself softly as she began to pour her and Daniel a cup of coffee for each of them. "Sure, if you say so," she nodded.

She motioned him to come over to fix his coffee the way he wanted. Once she was done with fixing hers, she hopped on the counter across from Daniel and the coffeemaker. She sighed before she took a much needed sip from her cup. He turned to look at her with his cup in hand as he leaned against the counter with a warm smile on his face.

"So, what's this going around the office about_ Mode_ having an issue about how women have evolved in the work force from homemaker to office executives? It sounds like it has Betty written all over it," Julie mentioned before she took a sip from her cup before she placed it beside her.

"Oh, it's an idea that Betty's been toying with for months. We may use it eventually, but I think it needs to be approached from a different angle," Daniel shrugged. "It's just one of those things that we could use after the Fashion Week issue sometime during the summer maybe."

"You know, if you could tie it in with something else that would give more exposure to _Mode_ then it's a winner. Maybe something like giving a young woman a chance to have a summer internship at _Mode _or something or job shadowing with someone like Betty for a couple of weeks to see if working in the big city is a good idea," Julie mentioned off the top of her head.

Julie was more so interested in finding out what the "nothing" was about which was obviously a something in Daniel's jacket pocket. As the jacket was draped over her shoulders, she held it close to her, acting like she was cold, but she was really keeping it closed so she could hide the fact she was digging around more than anything else. And Daniel was seemingly oblivious to what she was doing as he was thinking about what she had said.

"That could work," the editor-in-chief reasoned out loud as he weighed his options in his mind. "Hmm…"

_Almost got it_, Julie thought as she could feel her fingers lifting the small object out of the pocket. Right when she almost had it, she couldn't balance it on her fingertips before she managed to get a grip on the mystery object. Out of nowhere, the object fell out from under Daniel's jacket and hit the kitchen floor.

"Shit!" Julie whispered as she stared the small box on the floor.

The sound of the box hitting the floor broke Daniel out of his thoughts as he noticed what had happened.

"Oh, shit," he said as he quickly placed his cup on the counter before he bent down to pick up what Julie had dropped.

Daniel stared blankly at the box in his hands before he looked up at a stunned Julie.

"Daniel…what's that?" was all Julie could get out as she noticed that the small box could only be one thing.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before he looked up at her. "You can't leave things alone, can you?"

"Obviously not," she giggled. "I keep telling you when there's a nothing, there's always a something. Besides, you forget I can read you pretty well."

"True," he chuckled. "Well, since you've let the cat out of the bag and everything, I guess it's only fitting…"

The only thing Daniel could do was open up the black ring box in his hands to reveal the engagement ring he had picked out for Julie and since he was basically already on the floor, he got down on bended knee.

"Jules, I've been carrying this around for weeks now, and I've debating how and when for such a long time, but I guess now is good a time as any," Daniel said as he drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly before he continued. "I love you. You've been amazing, and I'd be a fool not to want to keep you for myself even though there are times where I think I don't deserve you. Autumn Julie Madison, will you marry me?"

She stared at him without saying a word which made Daniel even more nervous than what he was considering this was so in the moment. Julie looked into his eyes with a smile on her face. It was the moment that both of them had wanted and waited for, but now that it was here, Julie had to take it all in.

She began to nibble on her bottom lip slightly before she tried to nod her head.

Daniel wasn't sure if it was nerves or if she really wanted to say yes.

"Jules?"

"Oh, God…Daniel, yes…my answer's yes. I love you, and you make me happy!" She finally said as she hopped off the counter before Daniel slipped the ring on her left hand.

He rose to his feet and took Julie into arms before they shared a lengthy kiss before they parted and shared a hug. Her head rested on his shoulder as he lightly ran his fingers along her back. A soft sigh escaped from her lips, and Daniel knew he was finally happy.

Their relationship had grown stronger now that Daniel and Julie were engaged. It was nice how they managed to keep it under wraps especially during Fashion Week and several weeks after that before someone…more like a_ certain_ pair of some ones spilled the beans. It didn't matter how the media found out about it, but now that things had come to light it was no longer about the "Will he, won't be?" game about popping the question. It was about the "When, where, and how?" when it came to the future Meade/Madison union.

Once again, the two of them had fallen into this seemingly comfortable pattern of spending time together which was nice but it had gotten to the point where lingering questions were in the back of Julie's mind that she couldn't shake anymore and she felt like she needed some answers.

Daniel sat in front of his desk at _Mode_ as he was going through this mail when the intercom buzzed in. Without looking up, he leaned over to the base of his phone and pressed a button.

"Yes, Betty?"

"Daniel, it's Julie for you on line one."

"Thanks," the editor-in-chief grinned as he picked up the phone.

"This is Daniel Meade," he formally said.

"Hey, you," Julie chuckled before a pause. "And when did you decide to get all formal with me?"

"And who is this?" he teased.

"Daniel…"

"Okay…hey, Jules."

"Um, hi," she said trying to act like she was annoyed, but couldn't. "Have you looked at Page Six this morning?"

"Um, not yet, why?" Daniel said. "What's going on now?"

He started to search through the pile of everything on his desk. Once he found the paper, he opened it to Page Six to see what the fuss was about.

"It's kind of funny today actually," Julie mentioned as she looked down at her own copy in her office.

Daniel skimmed the page as he noticed a small article about him and Julie and their wedding plans.

"Apparently, we're having a wedding at St. Patrick's Cathedral," Julie snickered, "according to a_ close_ source to the family."

"Where in the world do they came up with these things?"

"I have no idea, but this does being up something that I think we need to discuss later."

"Well, what is it, Jules?"

Julie sighed softly, "Like I said, we'll talk about it later, besides you have that important photo shoot among whatever else you have planned for today. We'll talk tonight."

"Okay," Daniel nodded. "I'll see you after work then?"

"Of course," Julie giggled. "You can count on it."

--

The two of them spent a lovely evening together at Julie's place. She had made this fabulous dinner. Who would have thought a publicist could find the time to learn how to cook among everything else she does in her busy life?

After dinner, Julie stood in the kitchen where she was pouring herself and Daniel a drink. She had just fixed her normal Manhattan martini before she poured her fiancé's usual scotch on the rocks. Without bothering to ask how he wanted it, she went ahead and made it a double.

As she made her way into the living room, she smiled at the sight of Daniel sitting on her couch. He returned the gesture before he leaned forward to get his drink from Julie.

"Here you go," she smiled as he took the drink from her.

"Thanks," Daniel nodded. He took a sip from his glass before leaned back on the couch, having an open arm for Julie to join him.

She sighed softly with a snicker before she took her seat. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Julie couldn't help but snuggle up against the man she loved.

"You know, we're going to turn into that boring married couple soon," Julie giggled as she looked up at him.

"We will not," Daniel reassured with a chuckle.

"I think we have…but you know, Daniel, eventually you're going to have to make an honest woman out of me."

He couldn't help but smile with a light-hearted laugh without saying a word. He took a sip from his glass not putting much thought into Julie's words.

"You think you're so funny," she huffed as she tried to act mad.

"I think we're fine the way we are," he grinned with a wink.

"I am glad _one _of us does," she said softly, hoping he hadn't actually heard her.

With that being said, Julie couldn't help, but take a much needed sip of her martini. She had thrown herself out there and now that she had, she wished she hadn't. Her eyes glanced down at floor. She hoped Daniel wasn't paying attention to what she said.

Her little comment had caught his attention. It wasn't like Julie to make little comments like that especially about them. "What's going on, Jules?" He asked with some concern. "Why would you feel the need to say that?"

"Uh, well…" she took in a deep breath, "I am just tired. Ignore me. I had another one of long day at work today with this new client. Don't worry about it."

"And if you expect me to believe, Jules," he said as he stroked her hair. "Then, you're kidding yourself. What's on your mind?"

All Julie could do was look into Daniel's piercing blue eyes. She began to nibble on her bottom lip as she instinctively brought up her hand to tuck some loose hair behind her left ear. "It's nothing worth mentioning. I don't want to bore you with it," she chuckled nervously, hoping she sounded more convincing than what she had heard.

"Autumn Julie Madison…" Daniel said as he looked down at her in his arms. "This is me you're talking to…Daniel Meade…your fiancée…the one knows that something's up when you tuck some hair behind your ear like that especially when you start to nibble on your bottom lip. Jules…what is it? Please tell me. Maybe I can help you out."

Daniel offered as he pulled her in closely to him. He kissed the top of her head, hoping she'd open up with what she had to say.

"Do you really want to know? I mean, I know I shouldn't feel the way I do, but I can't help it. I am pretty sure you can, Daniel, but I am not sure if I really want to know considering _this_ is the best thing in my life right now," Julie finally said, breaking her silence that she had been fighting with for the longest time.

"Okay, you're not making much sense," the younger Meade sibling mentioned before he took a sip from his glass.

Daniel sighed as he glanced over at her. He could tell that whatever this was that Julie was burdened with had to do with something more than work. He knew the way she was when she was stressed out about work, and right now the perplexed look in her eyes mixed with the slight tension on her face, this had to be about something serious.

Julie drew in a deep breath as she tried to maintain her serious poker face, but now that the surface tension inside of her had been broken, she was sure that it had to be written on her face especially with the way Daniel was looking at her. The way his eyes were fixed on her with a look of concern.

"I know…and I am sorry," Julie said softly as she glanced down at the floor before she took a much needed gulp from her glass.

Something told Daniel unwrap his arm from around Julie. He slowly removed his arm from around her before he leaned forward to place his glass on the table. He could tell that Julie would need his full attention on the matter.

"Jules, what's going on? This isn't like you. This whole closing yourself off to the world isn't the typical Julie Madison I know. You're always the type to say how it is. So, Miss Madison, what's going on in that head of yours?" he grinned at her.

"It's just…" she began as she looked into Daniel's eyes, struggling to find the right words to say what she wanted to say. The way he was looking at her wasn't helping to say the least. It was times like this where she wouldn't question any of this, but there were other times where these thoughts and questions would loom over her head. "…I don't know how to talk about this…especially with you. I mean, you're the easiest person to talk to, Daniel. And I just can't…I can't bring myself to do this."

"Now you're starting to worry me, Julie," Daniel's tone changed. "You can talk to me about anything. I thought we made that clear a long time ago."

"And we did, but this is major because once I say this out loud, I can't take it back and it more than likely changes everything. If I tell you this, it's more like me admitting it to myself,f and I am not sure if _I_ am ready for that."

Daniel hated seeing her like this. What could be so terrible that changes things between them? He knew they loved each other. He knew that Julie was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he knew better than to take her for granted especially after everything they had been through. He had learned his lesson so what could possibly change any of that?

"Julie…" Daniel whispered. "Tell me…please?"

The woman in his life sat there in silence for a couple of moments before she nodded. "Daniel," Julie gulped as she noticed her throat conveniently went dry. She took a sip from her glass before she leaned forward to set her glass beside Daniel's on the table.

_Here goes nothing._ "I guess, I shouldn't have let this build like it obviously has, but if I don't bring this up now, I never will. I mean, I wouldn't even have this thought unless I had a reason to."

He gave her an encouraging nod.

She struggled to find the right words…the right way to approach this without coming off in a way that she didn't intend to. Julie undoubtedly loved him and she knew he loved her, but now things were so jumbled together, and she hated having this feeling in the pit of her stomach about how things were actually between them.

"Before I say anything, just know that I love you and I hope you don't take this the wrong way or anything when I tell you this--."

"You're seeing someone else?!" Daniel blurted out without thinking.

Julie couldn't help but laugh at his assumption. "Oh, God…no, Daniel. I love you and I would never do that. Where would I find the time to see another guy?" She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him with raised eyebrow.

"That's true," Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "With the way you said that, I could only think of the worst case scenario."

"Daniel Meade…" she shook her head with a chuckle. "Daniel, you're adorable and I love you for it, but right now, this isn't about what you think is going on, but what's been in front of your face this whole time…I just don't think you yourself have noticed it."

The words rolled off of Julie's tongue especially now that the tension between them was broken. A look of slight confusion covered Daniel's face which really didn't surprise her at all.

"Well, let me ask you this. We got engaged months ago and everything, but why haven't we tried to set a wedding date yet?"

"What do you mean? We both have busy lives," Daniel reasoned.

"That may be true, but why haven't we at least moved in together?" Julie countered without fail.

"You've always been a traditionalist," he mentioned as he cleared his throat.

"But that's just it. If we love each other as much as we say we do and we're going to get married eventually, then why bother paying to live in two different places?"

Julie was right. They were at a point in their lives where it was only fitting to take it to the next step. They had known each other forever, and their relationship was passed the point of saying good night at the door. It was obvious that everyone thought they more than likely were already living together, but that wasn't the case.

"It's not like we can't afford it."

From the look on Daniel's face, Julie could tell that he wasn't sure what was going on. He answered her questions honestly without putting much thought to his answers. He smiled at her once a moment of silence fell between them, and it was obvious as much as Julie didn't want to admit it that the Meade heir had no idea about where she was going with this.

"I know that, but that's not the point and sure, I know I've always said that I wouldn't move in with you once we started dating, but this is different. We're engaged now and the next step would be to live together," she said, hoping that he would have an answer she wanted to hear.

"Stop worrying, Julie. I love you. There's no doubt about it, but why are you questioning everything?"

He smiled at her and she returned the gesture, but that was not the answer she wanted him to say. She was hoping that he would pick up on her hints in her questions, but he hadn't. She had to stay focused on the direction she wanted to take this conversation because as tempting as it was, she needed to know the answers to put her mind at ease if there was an honest chance of such a thing.

"Daniel…this is what I mean. Why are you so laid-back about everything? We aren't getting any younger and if we love each other enough to make this work, then why haven't we moved forward with this?" She couldn't help, but counter with a question.

He pressed his lips together as he stared at her. He had assumed that things were fine between them. He wasn't sure where Julie was going with her questions. He knew he loved her. There was no doubt in his heart about that.

"I don't see why we have to rush into anything," he replied, hoping that it was enough.

Julie sighed softly to herself. "Do you realize we've known each other for over 10 years…wait a minute…has it really been 11?...no, make that 12 years now, and we've been seeing each other for one year, two months, and eight days?"

"Really?" he asked sheepishly.

"Um, yeah, Daniel, we met during the spring semester of our sophomore year of college. That's…wow," she couldn't help but giggle at thought.

So, the two of them had known of each other for that long. Sure, they hadn't kept in touch during that whole fourteen year span, but the fact of the matter was they had known each other for the amount of time.

"It doesn't seem like it's been that long. Has it really been over a year and two months since we started to date?" he questioned.

"The day after I walked into your office at _Mode_ after our night with Becks at the bar…it's been that long," she reassured. "And you see, Daniel, you're continuing to prove my point. Why are we stuck in this pattern? We've been engaged for over six months now, and I've made a point not to push you into anything whether you've noticed this or not, but…" Julie started to move her engagement ring with her right hand. "Have you ever thought that I am not the most important person in your life?"

"What? Julie, you are!" He hadn't expected her to ask him that at all.

"You know, you say that and I know you have the best intentions at heart, and I know you love me. I don't doubt that, but if this was meant to be, you wouldn't hesitate to make this happen."

"Jules, if you feel this way, then let's make this happen," Daniel chimed in without hesitation.

"Right now, you'd only be doing it to make me happy not because you want to..." Julie began to nibble on her bottom lip again.

And his answer wasn't entirely surprising, but she was right whether Daniel knew that for himself or not.

"Yes. I do. Let's get married," Daniel nodded. "I just let the magazine get ahead of my personal life…ahead of us and now that you mention it, we should take the next step."

Once again, Daniel was being the Daniel that Julie loved and yet she knew that this Daniel…her Daniel always managed to change when he was in the office or when something…more like someone else was around. She saw him as trying his best to be the person Julie wanted him to be and he had changed to be a better person than even she had hoped for, but there was something that wasn't right…not to her anyway.

"Daniel, there is something bigger here than you realize. It's been here the whole time…long before I came back into your life. I am sure of it now more than I ever thought I could be before."

"Okay, now you're not making any sense again," he watched her carefully trying to figure out what she could mean with her seemingly vague answers.

"_She's_ been here the whole time," she pointed out.

"She?"

_There's a she?_ Daniel had been dating and seeing Julie exclusively for months now and how could she ever suspect a she? Daniel knew he had been dedicated and devoted to _Mode_, but it was silly of Julie to think of the magazine as a she. That was silly if a well-established publicist was concerned about _Mode_.

"Betty, Daniel," Julie finally said to break him from his thoughts. "She's been here in front of you the whole time, and I don't think you realize how things are when it comes to you two. I know you think I am crazy right now, but have you ever thought about how you are when it comes to Betty?"

"Sure, she's my best friend, but you are too, Jules."

"I've never been like Betty to you. I know you love me, but you'll never see me the way you see Betty," Julie said trying to keep up a strong front for him.

The woman he had been engaged to for months had finally admitted what was bothering her. It was a relief for her to finally say it out loud, but now as she looked into Daniel's eyes with the confusion on his face, he didn't have a clue, not the slightest idea of what Julie saw.

"But she's…"

"What, Daniel? Just your assistant? You're kidding yourself more than ever if you think she's _just_ your assistant. She's your best friend, and you are different when you're around her. Don't get me wrong, you're amazing and I love you for the way you are, but have you ever noticed how you get when Betty's around?"

"What do you mean?" he sheepishly asked as he observed the way Julie was going about things. "I love you. You're the world to me."

"Okay, well, let me ask you this. Who was the first person you talked to about getting engaged to me?"

"Um, my family?"

Julie couldn't help, but laugh at his reply. "You just up and called Bradford and Claire or Alexis even to see what they thought about you marrying me?" She arched an eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look.

"Uh, I…well, okay, yeah it was Betty," he conceded.

"Of course and who did you go to for advice when that bet with Becks blow up in your face?"

"Betty…" he replied softly.

"And who is one of the few people in your life who know what the fake smile and the thumbs up means?"

"You…"

"And?"

"Betty," Daniel sighed.

"Isn't there a pattern here?" Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him trying to process what was going on.

"But…Jules, this…what we have…isn't over."

"I know it's not. What we have is this amazing relationship that I wouldn't trade for the world, but I don't want us to start to have this life together and all of a sudden, you start to wonder about what if when it comes to Betty, Daniel. I can't handle the thought of you waking up one morning and all of sudden realizing that you're missing something in your life, and it just happens to be Betty."

"Julie…this isn't fair."

"Daniel, you know me, and I wouldn't be like this if I didn't have a reason or cause to be. I am not jealous of how you are with Betty. You know me well enough to know that I am a better person than that, but I wouldn't feel the way I do unless I have an honest to God reason to and right now, I feel like I have one."

The youngest member of the Meade family racked his brain, trying to understand where his fiancé was coming from, but he was having trouble trying to see where she was coming from or why she could feel the way she did about his assistant. Betty Suarez was his friend who just happened to be his assistant, but if it wasn't for Betty, Daniel and Julie wouldn't be together like they were. Betty had played a huge part of their reconciliation, but he knew that Julie wouldn't be like this about just anything.

"I know I've brought this up out of nowhere, and you haven't had a chance to think about it for yourself, but how it not obvious between you and Betty?"

And it wasn't to him. He knew he and Betty had a different relationship from any of the other people he had in his life including Julie, but Betty had always been that one person in his life who was there for him through everything whether he wanted her to be or not. He had trouble trying to see how things were between him and Betty when it came to the outside looking in. He appreciated his assistant for all she had done for him personally and professionally, but was she really more than just that?

"Julie, I don't get where this is coming from. I love you. I want to marry you. I want to make a life with you," he reassured. "I asked you to marry me and I meant that."

"I know that and I feel like that when it comes to you, but don't you think it's only fair to both of us if you could figure out how things actually are between you and Betty? So, at least when this is all said and done, we can either move forward with the wedding or you can move on to figuring out if Betty is more than just Betty."

Julie gave him the best smile she could under the circumstances. She loved him, she always had, but now to be fair to both of them, she was willing to let Daniel figure out things for himself.

"Are you sure about this?" Daniel asked.

It was like something inside of Daniel clicked, but he wasn't even sure about what was going on. He had all of these thoughts on his mind about what Julie had said, and he wasn't sure if he could handle all of it.

"I wouldn't have brought this up if I didn't feel like you needed to address this issue. I love you, Daniel, and I don't want to hold you back from the life you deserve whether it is with me or not. I want you to be happy with your decision. You deserve that for yourself," Julie smiled at him as she took his hand into hers.

"But you deserve to be happy too, Jules. I love you for the way you are," he smiled as he squeezed her hand gently.

"Daniel, as long as you actually take the time to consider what we've talked about tonight without rushing into an answer, you'll make me happy. I am willing to give you all the time you need in order to figure out everything for yourself."

"Julie, I don't deserve you. If it was anyone else who felt like this, I am sure they would have dropped me faster than anything, but this is why I appreciate you in my life. You understand me even when I am not sure what's going on."

She chuckled lightly to herself. "Daniel Meade, I wouldn't have stuck around if I didn't think you _are_ worth it. No matter what happens, you'll have a special place in my heart just like you always have."

As tempted as Julie was to kiss Daniel, she stopped herself and decided not to confuse him more than what she already had during the course of their evening. She gave him her best smile before she sighed softly.

"And that goes for you too, Jules," he grinned.


	15. Author's Note: Apology

**Author's Note**: I want to apologize for my absence because I never had any intentions of leaving you guys hanging this long without starting the sequel to "Things Aren't Always What They Seem" or not writing much of any fan fic for Ugly Betty for that matter since last year. Wow, that is kinda scary now that I think about it. Sorry about that. Now that I am trying to get on course to start writing a sequel, I am hoping that once the new episodes of the show start to air, it will get my creative juices flowing, and I'll start to write and post the sequel. ;) But until then, I am going back through my fic and editing (yes, I've noticed more mistakes that need to be addressed...I am not perfect.) so I can refresh my memory about what I've written as well as hopefully piquing the interest of new readers. Just be patient with me, I promise the sequel coming…just give me time. :) Hopefully, you haven't lost faith in me.

Thanks again for your support and patience,  
Jen (a.k.a Creative Dreamer)


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